JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


THE 


ILLUSTRATED 


HORSE    MANAGEMENT^ 


OONTAUnNO  DESCRIPTIVE  REMARKS  UPON 


ANATOMY,  MEDICINE,  SHOEING,  TEETH,  FOOD, 
VICES,   STABLES; 


LIKEWISE  A  PLAIN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 


Situation,  |latou,  an&  falne  0f  Hit  Mm  l^mU 


TOGETHER  TTITH    COMMENTS   ON 


GROOMS,  DEALERS,  BREEDERS,  BREAKERS,  AND  TRAINERS 


CARRIAGES  Am)  HARNESS. 


Embelliskd  with  more  than  iOO  EngraviDgs,  ftoin  Original  Designs  made 
expressly  for  this  Work. 


BY 

EDWARD  MAYHEW,  M.R.C.V.S. 

AUTHOK    OF    <'THE   ILLUSTRATED    HORSE    DOCTOR,"    AND    OTHER   WORKS 


PHILADELPHIA : 

J.    B.   LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 


PREFACE. 


The  reader,  after  having  perused  the  present  volume, 
may  imagine  the  writer  should  have  been  more  explicit 
when  advertising  the  book's  intentions,  that  a  mass  of 
speculative  novelty  should  not  have  been  hastily  intruded 
upon  the  general  public.  Such,  probably,  will  be  the  pri- 
mary impression  of  most  purchasers.  The  author,  how- 
ever, regrets  he  is  by  truth  obliged  to  decline  the  compli- 
ment embodied  in  such  a  complaint.  Those  notions  which, 
hurriedly  regarded,  appear  as  original,  will,  to  the  matured 
judgment,  show  only  as  an  obvious  result,  worked  out  by 
the  easy  application  of  a  single  idea.  Common  sense  em- 
braces every  merit  in  the  ensuing  pages.  Grant  this,  and 
there  remains  no  loftier  claim  to  advance.  The  different 
chapters  contain  nothing  which  is  not  very  superficial  and 
entirely  based  upon  fact.  Every  statement  included  in  the 
following  articles  becomes  plain  and  self-evident  to  the  man 
who  can  release  his  mind  from  the  trammels  of  conven- 
tionality, and  will  allow  his  conceptions  to  be  shaped  by 
the  habits  and  the  inclinations  which  are  natural  to  the 
equine  species. 

No  living  creature  could  be  more  exposed  to  the  willful- 
ness of  perversity  than  the  horse  has  hitherto  been.     All 

(V) 


^1  PREFACE. 

around  and  about  the  quadruped  was  moulded  by  influ- 
ences which  never  regard  the  instincts  of  the  animal. 
Every  incident,  directly  or  remotely  concerning  its  welfare, 
was  misconstrued  or  misstated.  In  proof  of  this  is  the 
common  belief  that  Arabia  produces  the  perfection  of  the 
tribe.  This  opinion  is  not  to  be  substantiated  by  investi- 
gation. It  is  accepted  upon  no  positive  evidence.  It  is 
opposed  to  deductions  drawn  from  a  notorious  fact.  The 
greater  number  of  Arabian  steeds  are  not  much  larger 
than  ordinary  ponies.  The  climate  dwarfs  the  stature. 
Dwindled  development  is  recognized  as  the  established 
proof  of  an  uncongenial  location. 

The  Arab  horse  is  undoubtedly  the  most  beautiful  and 
the  most  intelligent  specimen  of  its  race.  Travelers  assure 
us  it  lives  beside  its  master.  It  is  the  companion  of  the 
man  and  the  playmate  of  the  child.  The  country  may  not 
be  favorable  to  its  bodily  perfection;  but  the  affections  and 
the  mental  attributes  of  a  dumb  intelligence  are  in  that 
land  cultivated  and  enlarged.  Arabia  boasts  possession  of 
the  most  civilized  race  of  quadrupeds  which  are  known  to 
mankind.  Looking  on  the  creatures  of  that  country,  the 
world  can  contemplate  the  money  value  of  kindness,  since 
the  indulgence  of  this  emotion  can  conceal  a  serious  cor- 
poral defect! 

Probably  it  may  be  urged  such  intimacy  between  the 
human  being  and  the  beast  is  compatible  only  with  a  wild 
and  a  half-savage  state  of  society.  But  there  exist  other 
nations  as  unrefined;  nay,  many  peoples  are  known  to  be 
more  barbarous  than  are  the  Arabs.  The  animal,  how- 
ever, fares  as  badly  with  inhabitants  of  the  uncultured 
as  with  people  of  the  civilized  regions.     The  absence  or 


PREFACE.  vn 

the  presence  of  refinement  does  not  influence  the  welfare 
of  an  equine  slave.  Then  gentleness  in  the  Arabian  must 
be  a  purely  responsive  emotion.  Its  presence  or  its  absence 
is  apart  from  mental  status,  or  the  social  distinctions  of 
the  population  to  whom  it  is  subjected  and  by  whom  it  is 
surrounded. 

The  horse,  in  Britain,  generally  occupies  the  same  house 
as  the  groom;  but  it  is  not,  therefore,  regarded  with  the 
feeling  which  is  indulged  by  the  inhabitant  of  the  tent. 
The  change  from  the  soil  of  its  birth  to  the  English  stable 
is  attended  with  a  total  alteration  of  circumstances.  Cold- 
ness or  brutality,  however,  cannot  banish  the  spirit  which 
benevolence  had  fostered.  The  rebellion  provoked  by  harsh- 
ness is  only  more  complete.  The  quietude  of  content  is 
replaced  by  the  wildness  of  timidity.  Confidence  is  de- 
stroyed ;  fear  assumes  the  likeness  of  savagery.  The  horse 
becomes  a  brute;  for  ignorance  will  not  believe  its  inferior 
can  be  actuated  by  a  reasonable  motive. 

In  India  the  cavalry  are  mounted  upon  half-bred  Persian 
horses.  Not  a  few  of  the  ofiicers,  however,  bestride  chargers 
of  pure  Arabian  blood.  These  last  are  commonly  under 
the  charge  of  European  servants,  and  serve  European 
masters.  The  animal's  nature  changes  with  its  location. 
The  alteration,  therefore,  is  independent  of  heat  or  of  frost. 
The  Arabs  of  India  are  as  famed  for  ferocity  as  the  creat- 
ures of  the  desert  are  notorious  for  gentleness  of  disposition. 

The  English  behavior  is  chiefly  shaped  by  selfishness, 
based  upon  a  degraded  superstition,  which  insists  that  every 
form  of  inferior  existence  was  created  for  man's  use  and 
relinquished  to  his  pleasure.  The  author  must  leave  to 
others  the  inquiry,  whether  Christianity  invests  those  who 


VUl  PREFACE. 

profess  to  believe  its  doctrines  with  any  power  which  can 
be  separated  from  the  potency  of  charity.  It  is  not  for  him 
to  decide  whether  the  conduct  of  a  half-savage  and  a  pagan 
tribe  should,  in  its  fruits  and  in  its  results,  shame  the  con- 
sequences produced  by  the  acts  of  men  who  boast  of  educa- 
tion and  worship  the  exemplification  of  self-sacrifice  and  of 
love. 

Would  man  only  be  content  to  base  observations  upon 
fact,  anatomy  has  for  a  sufficient  period  ascertained  a  cir- 
cumstance which  should  have  startled  public  wonder  into 
exclamation.  But,  where  the  horse  is  involved,  centuries 
of  prejudice  appear  to  have  generated  a  slothfulness  of 
comprehension  which  overpowers  all  ordinary  intelligence. 
In  a  bird  a  similar  development  has  for  ages  been  accepted 
as  the  proof  of  peacefulness  of  disposition.  The  pigeon 
congregates  in  flocks;  it  lives  on  vegetable  substances,  and 
it  possesses  a  liver  which  exhibits  no  gall-bladder.  This 
deficiency  and  these  habits  apply  to  the  horse  as  literally 
as  to  the  feathered  type  of  innocence.  Perhaps  the  higher 
status  of  the  quadruped  might  be  urged  as  the  ground  of  a 
primary  title  to  human  consideration.  Yet  the  dove-cot 
would  seem  to  have  blinded  man  to  the  merits  of  the 
stable ! 

The  horse  possesses  a  full-sized  liver;  still  the  gland  ex- 
hibits no  receptacle  in  which  any  excess  of  biliary  secretion 
may  be  retained.  The  testimony  of  nature  associates  the 
creatures  which  man  views  as  opposites,  or  regards  as  the 
emblem  of  peace  and  as  the  living  embodiment  of  inveterate 
vice.  Sameness  and  dissimilarity  appear  oddly  united  when 
both  lives  are  viewed  as  the  creations  of  the  Omniscient. 
Resemblance  in  body  should  direct  recognition  to  a  likeness 


PREFACE.  IX 

in  spirit.  Bearing  in  mind  by  whose  ordinization  all  facta 
originate;  remembering  how  life  in  this  world  is  linked  by 
bonds  more  difficult  to  trace  than  a  positive  sameness;  and 
admitting  that  the  One  Parent  had  a  design  in  every  part 
of  the  many  forms  which  He  called  into  existence, — human 
ignorance  must  be  wrong  when  it  refuses  to  acknowledge 
an  identity  thus  plainly  emphasized. 

That  the  workings  of  mortal  conception  are  peculiarly 
eccentric,  or  at  all  events  that  candid  appreciation  has  not 
embraced  the  helpmate  of  man  on  earth,  is  established  by 
every  rule  of  right  being  perverted  when  the  horse  appears 
upon  the  scene.  The  spirit  of  perversion  seems  so  power- 
ful it  involves  even  the  people  who  act  with  the  animal. 
When  Mr.  Rarey  came  to  England,  he  was  hailed  as  a 
wonder.  Mr.  Rarey  is  now  aw^y  from  these  shores,  and 
the  persons  who  formerly  acknowledged  his  genius  now 
speak  of  the  system  which  he  publicly  demonstrated,  as  a 
flagrant  imposture ! 

Why  is  this?  What  causes  such  contradictory  opinions? 
His  present  defamers  declare  Mr.  Rarey  to  be  a  humbug, 
because  horses,  when  returned  to  the  former  grooms  and 
subjected  to  the  former  treatment,  resume  the  former 
habits.  Like  causes  in  other  spheres  are  admitted  to  pro- 
duce like  results.  The  animal  merely  responds  to  the  con- 
duct of  those  who  surround  it.  Mr.  Rarey  tames  by  the 
exhibition  of  kindness.  He  convinces  dumb  intelligence 
how  futile  is  resistance,  and  makes  apparent  the  groundless- 
ness of  fear.  It  is  not  the  spirit  which  he  subdues,  but  it 
is  the  confidence  which  he  gains.  All  his  acts  are  dictated 
by  a  desire  to  banish  distrust.  The  animal  having  learned 
its  lesson  is  restored  to  its  proprietor.     But  if  the  owner 


K  PREFACE. 

has  not  profited  by  the  instruction  which  he  also  has  wit- 
nessed, ought  he  to  be  surprised  if  his  inferior  should  forget 
the  lesson  received  ? 

Is  there  not  something  remorselessly  evil  in  thus  con- 
verting the  bad  conduct  of  mankind  into  a  reason  for  deny- 
ing the  operation  of  an  obvious  goodness;  in  refusing  to 
acknowledge  the  responsive  nature  of  the  companion  spe- 
cially given  to  soften  the  doom  of  the  human  race;  and 
doing  this  only  to  warrant  the  insolence  of  severity,  which 
would  seem  to  be  a  failing  inherent  in  mortal  breasts?  But 
the  doctrines  of  love  and  of  charity  are,  by  many  worthy 
individuals,  supposed  to  apply  only  to  the  conduct  of  man 
to  man.  There,  in  general  belief,  begins  and  ends  the 
lesson.  Even  at  this  late  period  it  is  often  read  but  never 
understood  that  Universal  Benevolence  looked  down  and 
blessed  every  form  of  life  which  the  Spirit  had  created. 

To  inculcate  the  Christian  theory;  to  simply  illustrate 
its  wisdom,  and  to  demonstrate  the  folly  of  verbally  ac- 
knowledging its  teaching,  while  the  acts  of  its  professed 
believers  do  not  testify  to  its  truth,  has  been  the  endeavor 
of  the  author.  He  imagines  that  possibly  he  may  convince 
some  reader  of  the  loss  which  the  existing  customs  entail 
upon  society.  He  does  not  anticipate  to  actuate  many 
purchasers;  but  should  a  few  carry  into  practice  one  or 
two  of  his  suggestions,  and  such  innovations  should  upon 
trial  prove  successful,  other  experiments  will  be  hazarded, 
until  all  meriting  adoption  are  generally  recognized. 

But  numerous  readers,  after  having  read  the  foregoing, 
may  nevertheless  be  inclined  to  inquire,  "What  is  the  use 
of  this  fuss  about  morality,  when  the  issue  only  involves  a 
horse?''    To  this  interrogatory  the  writer  unhesitatingly  re- 


PREFACE.  li 

plies,  that  the  first  and  the  most  difiicult  teaching  of  civiliza- 
tion ever  concerns  man's  behavior  to  his  inferiors.  Make 
humanity  gentle  or  reasonable  toward  animals,  and  strife 
or  injustice  between  human  beings  would  speedily  termin- 
ate. But  instruction  to  be  effective  should  be  convincing : 
therefore,  purposely  avoiding  sentimentality,  the  author 
has  sought  to  enlist  the  feeling  only  by  satisfying  the 
judgment. 

Such  are  the  purposes  which  induced  "Horse  Manage- 
ment" to  be  indited.  But  high  as  the  object  may  be,  the 
writer,  when  submitting  his  labors  to  the  notice  of  the  pub- 
lic, cannot  otherwise  than  feel  there  is  a  common  phrase, 
which  passes  current  for  criticism,  and  to  which  this  book 
is  peculiarly  exposed.  The  colloquialism  alluded  to  is  the 
more  insidious  because  it  rather  appeals  to  a  prejudice  than 
expresses  anything  absolute  or  definite.  It  rests  upon  a 
word  in  general  use  among  the  superficial  of  every  profes- 
sion, and  that  word  is  one  which,  in  the  public  credulity, 
exalts  the  individual  who  abuses  it.  Let  a  medical  practi- 
tioner study  to  master  the  rudiments  of  his  calling,  and  the 
purpose  of  his  assiduity  will  be  whispered  away  by  insinua- 
tions about  the  student  being  a  most  admirable  theorist; 
but,  unhappily,  not  being  ^^  di  practical  man." 

Another  individual  shall  earn  disgrace  at  college.  Yet 
this  man  shall  start  business  to  knock  about  the  drugs  and 
hack  at  living  flesh,  without  comprehending  the  parts  he  is 
interfering  with  or  having  any  knowledge  of  the  medicines 
which  he  ventures  to  administer.  This  last  person,  though 
he  neither  adorns  nor  enlarges  the  sphere  in  which  he  acts, 
invariably  attains  the  lucrative  repute  of  being  "a  purely 
'practical  man."     The  notoriety  brings  profit  to  the  object 


xu  PREFACE. 

who  merits  no  reward,  while  the  absence  of  such  fame 
acutely  increases  the  suflferings  of  a  deserving  gentleman 
who  had  dared  to  brave  the  thorns  which  proverbially 
beset  the  pathway  of  desert  to  the  recognition  of  society. 

Against  the  facts  declared  in  the  present  pages  those  who 
are  interested  to  uphold  existing  foolish  and  cruel  customs 
will  probably  urge  their  ^^ favorite  jphrasey  To  conceal  its 
hollowness  and  to  render  acceptable  its  wholesale  condem- 
nation, it  may  be  ushered  in  by  an  appearance  of  candor: 
thus,  "Oh!  the  book  is  very  pretty — nice  reading — very 
humane — a  little  weak — rather  overdone — too  philanthrop- 
ical,  and  wholly  ^unpractical!  It  teaches  nothing  which 
experience  could  adopt  or  which  the  thorough  horseman 
can  do  more  than  laugh  at.     Entirely  mvpracticair 

How  long  are  men  to  be  subjugated  by  mere  verbal  as- 
sertion ?  All  this  world  has  to  boast  of — all  mighty  truths, 
all  great  inventions — have  originally  had  to  struggle  against 
this  '''■  practicaV  bugbear,  which  ignorance  sets  up  to  frighten 
its  fellows  from  those  doctrines  which  aim  at  the  ameliora- 
tion of  mankind.  Recently  it  delayed  the  realization  of 
railways.  It  has  long  opposed  all  social  improvement  j  and 
as  this  is  written  it  is  being  advanced  as  a  barrier  to  Prac- 
tical Christianity  itself!  Those  who  can  regard  the  in- 
struction of  the  Creator  as  too  fine  for  the  creature  of  his 
creation,  may  readily  condemn  all  human  promptings! 

To  deprive  this  phrase  of  its  abuse  and  destroy  its  mys- 
terious signification,  let  the  reader  quietly  ask  himself  what 
is  really  meant  by  a  thing,  a  book,  or  a  doctrine  being 
'^^ practical^  If  the  word  bears  any  construction,  it  ob- 
viously must  imply  that  which  can  be  used,  or  a  lesson 
which  is  capable  of  being  illustrated  by  performance.     The 


PREFACE.  xm 

test  of  ''jpracticahiliti/f'  then,  resides  in  the  sincerity  of  those 
endeavors  which  attempt  to  embody  certain  instructions. 
Where  no  wish  to  exemplify  exists,  of  course  no  teaching 
can  be  "practical."  The  proof,  consequently,  generally  re- 
poses  with  the  person  who  advances  the  accusation,  and 
the  accuser  is  by  this  prejudice  constituted  judge  of  that 
he  has  already  condemned. 

What  is  there  in  the  present  volume  or  in  the  "  Horse 
Doctor"  which  cannot  possibly  be  enacted,  supposing  an 
actuating  motive  to  influence  the  trial?  Nothing  can  be 
practical  if  there  be  wanting  the  desire  to  embody  particular 
directions ;  but  to  ascertain  the  value  of  a  current  phrase, 
he  to  whom  it  is  addressed  should  ask  for  the  special  pas- 
sage to  which  this  condemnation  pointedly  alludes.  If  no 
specific  warrant  can  be  produced,  a  verdict  merely  founded 
upon  generalities  should  never  be  accepted. 
,  The  author,  when  seeking  to  accomplish  the  evident  pur- 
pose of  the  volume,  deeply  regrets  those  comments  which  a 
regard  for  correctness  has  compelled  him  to  offer  upon  the 
present  race  of  grooms.  He  can,  however,  with  sincerity 
deny  that  the  indulgence  of  dislike,  or  the  gratification  of 
malice,  has  induced  him  to  travel  beyond  the  limits  of  his 
subject.  The  men  in  this  capacity  occupy  an  unfortunate 
position.  They  and  their  interests  range ,  in  the  foremost 
rank  of  existing  wrong.  It  is  impossible  to  amend  the 
regulations  of  any  modern  stable  without  removing  some 
of  this  calling,  or  overthrowing  some  of  the  abuses,  with  a 
perpetuation  of  which  the  stable  servant  and  his  perquisites 
are  directly  involved.  An  earnest  desire  for  improvement, 
therefore,  compelled  the  review  of  that  class  who,  if  un- 
assailed,  were  interested  to  be  the  most  strenuous  advocates 


> 


sa.V  PREFACE. 


of  the  bad  usages  which  it  was  desired  should  be  over- 
thrown. 

In  conclusion,  the  getting  up  of  the  work  bespeaks  the 
care  bestowed  upon  the  volume  by  the  publishers,  to  whom 
the  author  offers  his  most  fervent  acknowledgments.  Nor 
can  the  writer  bid  adieu  to  his  patrons  without  directing 
attention  to  the  talent  exhibited  by  the  numerous  artists 
and  engravers  whose  labors  adorn  the  pages  of  the  present 
publication. 

NORBURY, 

Lansdowne  Road,  Torquay. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

TLe  body  of  the  horse  anatomically  considered     .         .         ....       17 

CHAPTER-  IL  . 

Physic — The  mode  of  administering  it,  and  minor  operations         .        .         .       fi3 

CHAPTER  III. 
Shoeing — Its  origin,  its  uses,  and  its  varieties 95 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Teeth — Their  natural  growth,  and  the  abuses  to  which  they  are  liable.         133 

CHAPTER  V. 

Food — The  fittest  time  for  feeding,  and  the  kind  of  food  which  the  horse 

naiurally  consumes  ..........     168 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  evils  which  are  occasioned  by  modern  stables 200 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  faults  inseparable  from  most  present  erections  which  are  used  as  stables.     233 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  so-called  "incapacitating  vices,"  which  are  the  results  of  injury  or  of 

disease     .............     263 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Rtables  as  they  should  be 297 

(XV) 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 
Grooms — Their  prejudices,  their  injuries,  and  their  duties    ....     327 

CHAPTER  XL 

Horse  Dealers — Who  they  are,  their  mode  of  dealing,  their  profits,  their 

morality,  and  their  secrets      ........     857 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Points — Their  relative  importance,  and  where  to  look  for  their  development.     379 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Breeding — Its  inconsistencies  and  its  disappointments 427 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Breaking  and  Training — Their  errors  and  their  results  ....     449 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Carriages — Their  cost,  their  make,  their  excellences,  and  their  management.     477 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Saddlery,  Harness,  and  Stable  Sundries — Of  what  these  consist ;  their  appli- 
cation and  their  preservation  ....  ....     494 

Index .    627 


THE 


ILLUSTRATED  HORSE  MANAGEMENT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   BODY  OF   THE   HORSE  ANATOMICALLY  CONSIDERED. 

Were  the  equine  race  extinct,  nevertheless  an  anatomist,  by  study- 
ing its  bones,  might  afiBrm  its  instincts  and  assert  its  uses.  Every  part 
declares  it  to  be  a  creature  of  speed ;  while  its  large  cranium  and  beauti- 


STUDENTS  DI88£0II«O  AT  THE  BOTAL  TXTIBINABT  OOLLEGE,  LONSOIT. 

fully-arranged  teeth  would  announce  it  to  have  once  been  connected  with 
civilization  by  its  intelligence,  by  its  uses,  and  its  herbivorous  habit.  The 
provision  made  for  the  united  strength  and  elasticity  of  the  spine  would 
indicate  the  care  nature  had  bestowed  upon  the  comfort  of  a  rider ;  while 

2  (H) 


18  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS." 

the  mode  in  which  the  members  were  joined  to  the  body,  with  the  reach 
of  hmb  peculiar  to  the  skeleton,  would  equally  announce  that  grace  and 
that  ease  which  had  characterized  the  lost  animal's  movements. 

What  lamentation  would  be  poured  forth  over  the  absence  of  such  a 
treasure  1  How  would  poignant  regrets  be  awakened,  as  science  demon- 
strated what  once  were  the  endowments  of  an  extinct  inhabitant  of  earth ! 
Yet,  at  the  present  time,  humanity  possesses  this  priceless  creature  to 
lighten  toil  and  heighten  pleasure.  Bjit,  how  few  of  mankind  have  ever 
reflected  upon  the  marvelous  delicacy  of  the  slave's  construction !  It  is 
lashed  unto  exhaustion  and  worked  into  deformity.  Because  of  the  treat- 
ment it  experiences  at  the  hands  of  the  master,  whom  it  serves,  it  gener- 
ally ceases  to  exist  before  its  body  is  matured ;  but  short  as  its  life  may 
be,  existence  is  to  it  only  one  continued  misery  1 

Even  mortal  instruments,  things  of  the  world's  manufacture,  are  lim- 
ited in  their  applications,  and  capable  of  being  deranged.  A  spring 
carriage  is,  obviously,  not  a  suitable  conveyance  for  a  load  of  paving 
stones.  He  would  be  esteemed  mad,  who  should  appropriate  such  a 
vehicle  to  so  gross  a  purpose.  The  horse's  body  is  more  delicately 
arranged  and  more  nicely  balanced  than  the  perfection  of  human  skill 
can  hope  to  imitate ;  nevertheless,  people  expose  themselves  to  no  rebuke 
when  they  wrench,  cripple,  or  destroy  the  beauty  which  is  intrusted  to 
their  authority. 

Yet,  the  thing  constructed  by  human  hands,  if  injured,  can  be  repaired, 
and  may  be  thus  rendered  again  equal  to  its  uses.  A  living  animal,  how- 
ever, being  damaged,  is  not,  on  this  earth,  to  be  restored  tc  its  integrity. 
That  has  been,  and  is  lost  1  Mortal  science  may  relieve  the  wound,  but 
the  scar  remains,  to  conjure  up  thoughts  of  that  deeper  seated  derange- 
ment, which  is  beyond  the  reach  of  this  world's  medicine.  The  body 
may  partially  recover  and  the  life  may  be  prolonged;  but  deformity, 
accompanied  by  a  proportionate  loss  of  function,  vsdll  testify  to  the  folly 
that  deteriorated  the  perfection  which  was  given  as  a  helpmate. 

Those  forms  of  agony,  which  a  few  years  ago  were  more  common  in 
England  than  such  are  even  at  the  present  time,  evidently  declared  that 
the  horse  was  altogether  unequal  to  increasing  wants  and  growing  de- 
sires of  mankind.  Neither  the  fleetness  of  the  courser  nor  the  strength 
of  the  heavier  breed  embodied  the  requirements  of  the  age.  Something 
faster  and  more  powerfiil  had  become  a  public  necessity ;  therefore  rail- 
roads were  permitted. 

Such  persons  as  can  talk  of  railroads  being  destined  to  destroy  the 
breed  of  horses,  must  suffer  under  a  confusion  of  ideas.  The  breed  of 
horses  may  be  endangered,  as  this  is  being  vn*itten ;  but  the  source  of 
peril  lies  very  far  removed  from  the  lines  of  tramway.     The  objects, 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  18 

capable  of  being  fulfilled  by  breathing  flesh  and  by  steaming  iron,  are 
altogether  separate  and  distinct.  No  living  body  can  aspire  to  con- 
tend, in  strength  or  in  speed,  with  the  results  of  mechanical  contrivance. 
Neither  can  the  forge  or  the  furnace  ever  hope  to  produce  any  combina- 
tion of  springs  and  wheels  which  can  compare  with  the  ease  of  motion, 
the  docility  of  temper,  or  the  intelligence  of  spirit  that  should  recommend 
the  quadruped  to  the  kindness  of  its  earthly  proprietor. 

The  horse  is  the  associate  of  man.  It  is  true,  the  poor  animal  can  be 
goaded  to  excessive  labor ;  but  the  creature  becomes  degraded  when  it 
toils  beyond  the  sphere  of  mortal  sympathy.  No  living  animal  should 
be  subjected  to  the  exactions  of  avarice.  Life  was  not  made  to  be  thus 
debased.  What,  however,  the  horse,  when  properly  treated,  is  capable 
of  performing,  remains  to  be  hereafter  demonstrated.  How  much  it  can 
enact,  and  how  greatly  it  can  benefit,  when  justly  treated,  the  present 
customs  refuse  the  willing  drudge  a  chance  of  proving.  No  steed  is  now 
permitted  to  grow  till  its  thews  and  muscles  are  matured.  Before  the 
season  of  its  utility  can  come  round,  the  colt  is  seized  upon  by  the  impa- 
tience of  gain,  and  the  baby  limbs  are  distorted  by  that  early  affliction 
which  forbids  the  natural  powers  to  be  developed. 

We  can,  however,  even  by  the  inspection  of  the  body,  discover  that  it 
is  admirably  adapted  for  continuous  and  prolonged  exertion.  The  main- 
tenance of  animal  motion  chiefly  depends  on  the  provision  made  for 
aerating  the  blood.  In  proportion  as  the  vital  current  can  be  revivified 
or  oxygenated  is  health  promoted  by  those  efforts,  which  in  most  bodies 
would,  assuredly,  induce  congestion  and  death.  Age  becomes  very  im- 
portant when  the  subject  is  thus  considered.  Respiration  is  in  youth 
quicker  than  during  adultism.,  because  there  is  so  much  more  oxygen 
needed  when  the  frame  is  in  a  growing  state.  By  working  the  horse 
before  maturity  is  attained,  the  animal  is  obliged  to  labor  when  the 
ordinary  velocity  of  the  respiration  permits  of  the  'less  marginal  speed  for 
the  breathing  apparatus  to  exert  upon  extraordinary  occasions.  Never- 
theless, that  the  reader  may  judge  correctly  of  the  care  nature  had  be- 
stowed upon  the  formation  of  a  creature  destined  for  subserviency  to 
man,  the  following  engraving  is  appended. 

The  accompanying  illustration  exhibits  the  lungs  as  of  large  propor- 
tional dimensions ;  while  the  stomach  will  be  recognized  as  of  more  than 
an  equally  diminished  capacity.  Everybody  must  have  experienced  how 
greatly  respiration  is  impeded  by  a  loaded  digestion ;  and  the  Common 
Benefactor,  when  creating  an  animal  destined  to  display  speed,  seems  to 
have  anticipated  the  probability  of  such  a  contingency.  The  intestines, 
however,  are  comparatively  of  large  extent.  Into  these  receptacles  the 
horse's  food  passes,  after  having  perfected  the  first  process  of  digestion, 


^0  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

and  there  it  is  subsequently  mixed  with  the  fluid  secretion  of  the  bowels, 
whereby  the  nutritive  matter  is  separated  and  rendered  fit  for  absorption. 


TUB   FIGURE   OP  A   H0E8E,  POETRATINQ  THE   COMPARATIVE  IMPORTANCE   AND   THE  RELATIVE   SITUATIONS  OP 
SOME   INTERNAL   ORGANS. 

1.  The  lungs.  2.  The  stomach.  3.  The  colon.  4.  The  diaphragm.  6.  The  situation  of  the  hladder. 

The  smallness  of  the  horse's  stomach  is  in  itself  sufficient  evidence  that 
the  quadruped  was  designed  to  be  a  frequent  feeder.  It  was  not  intended 
to  endure  prolonged  abstinence ;  for  almost  in  every  region  which  the 
animal  may  canter  over,  its  legitimate  food  abounds.  Man,  however, 
frequently  starves  the  creature,  that  a  loaded  stomach  may  not  interfere 
with  the  activity  of  the  respiration ;  he,  in  his  ignorance  and  in  his  pre- 
sumption, not  being  willing  to  trust  to  such  provision  as  the  All-wise 
had  made,  anticipatory  of  this  accident.  At  other  times,  the  quadruped 
is  suffered  to  over-gorge,  its  keeper  paying  no  regard  to  its  requirements. 
After  an  excessive  fast,  a  quantity  of  cut  food  is  placed  in  the  manger, 
and  the  ravenous  horse  eats,  and  eats,  till  its  small  stomach,  being  un- 
equal to  the  reception  of  much  bolted  provender,  cracks  its  walls  from 
excessive  repletion.  Such  a  circumstance  does  not  demonstrate  that 
nature  was  wrong,  or  that  the  equine  races  were  formed  unequal  to 
their  purposes;  but  it  satisfactorily  establishes  that  man  cannot,  with 
impunity,  cross  the  designs  or  run  counter  to  the  institutions  of  Omnip- 
otence. 

The  horse  was  created  to  live  off  the  grass  of  the  field.  This  habit 
necessitated  that  much  ground  should  be  traveled  before  the  appetite 
of  so  large  a  body  could  be  appeased ;  and  the  distance  was  the  greater 
as  the  animal  was  sent  upon  the  earth  a  nice  feeder — biting  oft  the  juicy 
tops  of  the  herbage,  not  tearing  up  roots  and  all,  like  the  less  scrupulous 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATION'S.  21 

bovine  tribe.  The  time  was  also  lengthened,  br  the  equine  race  not 
being  gifted  with  a  power  to  ruminate.  The  ox,  having  filled  the  mouth, 
bestows  little  care  upon  the  comminution  of  the  food ;  but  the  jaw  being 
moved  twice  or  thrice,  thereby  crushing  the  herbage,  so  as  to  form  it 
into  a  pellet,  the  mouthful  is  forwarded  at  once  to  the  rumen.  This 
receptacle  is  large,  and  is  somewhat  hastily  filled.  Then  the  ox  retires 
to  a  quiet  spot  and  there  enjoys  its  meal ;  the  grass  being  regurgitated 
and  fully  masticated,  during  which  time  the  animal  is  said  to  be  "  chew- 
ing the  cud."  The  horse  has  no  such  power.  The  food  it  gathers 
must  be  prepared  by  mastication  and  insalivation  before  it  enters  the 
stomach ;  consequently,  because  of  the  niceness  of  its  appetite,  and  the 
absolute  necessity  for  each  mouthful  being  separately  comminuted,  the 
horse,  in  a  free  state,  has  to  journey  far  and  to  feed  long  before  it  can 
lie  down  and  rest. 

The  equine  race  were  meant  to  collect  their  sustenance  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth ;  and,  doubtless,  the  tribe  are  most  at  ease  when  feed- 
ing with  the  head  lowered  to  the  necessary  position,  A  dog  naturally 
lowers  the  mouth  when  it  laps  a  fluid ;  but,  if  this  creature  be  tempted 
to  drink  from  a  saucer  held  on  a  level  with  the  ordinary  elevation  of  the 
head,  repeated  coughing  will  interrupt  the  draught  and  testify  to  the 
inconvenience  experienced  by  the  animal.  So,  in  the  instance  of  the 
horse,  we  may  infer  the  meal  is  most  relished  when  the  head  sinks  to 
its  gratification ;  and,  to  justify  such  an  inference,  anatomy  discloses  a 
special  provision  made  to  that  end.  Such  a  proof  is,  to  the  author's 
mind,  of  much  more  weight  than  any  assertion  to  the  contrary  of  the 
united  British  public,  as  emphasized  by  the  fixed  altitude  of  all  the 
mangers  throughout  the  three  kingdoms. 

A  serious  suggestion  here  forces  itself  upon  the  mind  of  the  writer ; 
and  it  is  one  the  importance  of  which  should  recommend  it  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  public.  Laryngeal  affections  are  among  the  most 
frequent  annoyances  of  every  stable,  and  stand  foremost  among  the 
most  vexatious  of  the  many  evils  which  the  veterinary  surgeon  is  ex- 
pected to  eradicate. 

However,  it  is  proved  that  if  sustenance  be  swallowed  with  the  head 
at  a  certain  elevation,  it  must  interfere  with  the  most  irritable  organ 
entering  into  the  composition  of  the  entire  body.  Then,  horse  pro- 
prietors would  do  well  to  reflect  upon  the  fact,  and  to  say,  how  far  con- 
stantly-repeated provocation  may  aggravate  or  induce  the  fearful  laryn- 
geal maladies  to  which  domesticated  horses  are  peculiarly  liable. 

The  valves  existing  in  the  jugular  veins  are  formed  by  duplicatures 

.  of  its  internal  lining  membrane  ;  and  they  are  so  arranged  as  to  prevent 

the  natural  tendency  to  regurgitate  when  the  fluid  within  the  vessel 


22  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

moves  against  gravity.  When  the  head  is  erect,  and  the  venous  cur- 
rent, flowing  toward  the  heart,  is  of  course  downward  or  is  favored  by 
gravity,  then  the  valves  do  not  act ;  but  the  passage  of  the  blood  forces 
the  duplicatures  of  membrane  to  remain  close  against  the  sides  of  the 
tube. 

The  jugulars  conduct  the  dark-colored  blood  from  the  brain ;  and  as 
that  important  organ  cannot  endure  the  smallest  pressure,  some  special 
provision  was  imperative  to  carry  away  the  fluid,  and  also  to  anticipate 
the  possibility  of  its  return  to  oppress  the  sensorium.  When  the  horse 
is  grazing,  the  head  is  lower  than  the  heart,  and  it  naturally  occupies 
that  position  for  the  greater  portion  of  the  twenty-four  hours.  During 
all  that  time  the  venous  current  must  mount  against  the  influence  of 
gravitation ;  and  to  aid  the  reader  in  properly  understanding  the  means  by 
which  this  is  efi'ected,  his  attention  is  invited  to  the  following  diagrams. 


A  SKETCH,  mSPLATINQ  THE  ACTION  OP  THE  JOQULAR  VALVES  WHEN  THE   HEAD  IS  LOWERED  TO  FEED  OFF  THE 

GROUND. 


The  elevated  crest,  therefore,  presents  a  clear  channel  to  the  vital 
current.  For  that  reason,  the  violent  action  or  the  most  rapid  pace  of 
the  animal  never  produces  congestion  of  its  brain.  The  racer  may  sink 
from  exhaustion,  but  does  not  perish  from  apoplexy.  The  head,  when 
depressed,  however,  shows  the  same  canal  divided  by  numerous  inter- 
secting marks.  Such  lines  are  intended  to  represent  the  venous  valves, 
which  assist  the  blood  in  its  upward  journey,  and  render  impossible  the 
slightest  pressure  upon  the  sensorium.  The  first  thing  which  strikes 
the  reader,  upon  beholding  the  arrangement  depicted  above,  is  the  vast, 
number  of  valves;    and  this  causes  him  to  inquire,  where  was  the 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  23 

necessity  for  such  repeated  checks.  If  the  conservation  of  the  brain 
was  the  only  end  to  be  attained,  might  not  that  object  have  been  assured 
by  a  single  set  of  valves  ?  Such  may  seem  a  feasible  objection ;  but  to 
prevent  the  return  current  was,  as  nature  appears  to  have  conceived, 
best  done  by  repeated  assistance  of  the  onward  flow;  consequently, 
these  numerous  valves  anticipate  the  possibility  of  regurgitation  in  any 
degree,  and  provide  repeated  checks  to  pressure  from  the  supported 
column  of  heavy  venous  blood. 

There  remains,  however,  another  provision  to  be  explained.  The 
return  current  has  hitherto  been  spoken  of,  as  though  the  upward  flow 
of  fluid  was  its  natural  tendency.  Still,  every  person  must  have  per- 
ceived the  necessity,  when  liquid  was  to  be  propelled  in  that  direction, 
of  something  resembling  a  forcing  pump.  Such  an  apparatus  nature 
has  provided.  The  head  of  a  healthy  animal  is  depressed  only  when 
eating  or  when  drinking.  During  the  performance  of  either  function, 
muscles  are  contracting  which  compress  the  soft  coats  of  the  veins,  and 
thus  help  to  drive  the  circulation  against  gravity. 

Thus,  during  feeding,  the  head  is  maintained  in  a  depressed  attitude 
for  hours  together ;  and,  throughout  that  space,  a  most  powerful  agent 
is  in  operation.  The  lower  jaw,  while  the  quadruped  chances  to  be 
thus  engaged,  is  in  constant  motion,  being  opened  and  closed  either  in 
biting  or  in  chewing.  When  the  jaw  sinks,  the  muscles  of  mastication 
are  relaxed,  and  the  venous  blood  rushes  from  the  cranium  into  the 
sinuses.  But  when  the  bone  is  raised  by  those  strong  motor  agents 
which  render  the  bite  of  a  horse  so  fearful  an  infliction,  the  current  from 
the  brain  is  for  a  moment  checked,  and  the  contents  of  the  maxillary 
sinuses  are  energetically  propelled  up  the  jugulars.  During  the  first 
half  of  the  action,  the  valves  are  in  operation,  having  all  the  strength 
necessary  for  the  perfect  performance  of  their  allotted  function;  but, 
during  the  latter  part,  they  are  forced  against  the  sides  of  the  vessels  by 
the  contractive  masticatory  influence,  and  cease  to  act  in  any  way  upon 
the  internal  current  of  the  blood. 

Notwithstanding  the  strong  conviction  emphatically  asserted  by  the 
fixed  position  of  the  nation's  mangers,  the  author  must  be  obstinate 
enough  to  disregard  human  authority,  when  he  has  an  opportunity  of 
studying  the  living  book,  written  by  the  unerring  hand  of  nature. 
Yalves,  though  generally  present  in  veins,  are  never  discovered  where 
the  position  of  the  vessel  or  other  reason  would  render  such  provisions 
unnecessary.  The  Great  Creator  often  makes  one  thing  to  serve  more 
than  one  use ;  but  never  creates  when  His  work  can  answer  no  profit- 
able purpose. 

The  use  of  veins  is  simply  that  of  conduits,  to  convey  the  refuse 


24  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

blood  back  to  the  heart,  whence  it  is  forced  into  the  lungs,  and  there 
revivified  or  rendered  equal  to  its  many  forms  of  nutrition.  This  mighty 
change  is  very  simply  effected.  When  the  thorax  expands,  air  merely 
enters  the  lungs  to  anticipate  the  vacuum,  which  otherwise  must  be 
occasioned  by  the  enlargement  of  the  chest.  The  air  consists  chiefly 
of  two  substances  in  a  gaseous  state — of  oxygen  and  of  nitrogen.  The 
venous  blood,  being  very  near  to  the  inhaled  air  within  the  lungs,  ex- 
tracts the  oxygen  from  it,  and  in  exchange  sends  forth  a  quantity  of 
carbonic  acid,  which  is  voided  with  the  expired  breath. 

This  change  will  take  place  when  blood  is  extracted  from  the  body. 
If  the  contents  of  some  vein  are  exposed  to  the  atmosphere,  they  will 
in  time  change  from  a  deep  modena  to  a  bright  scarlet  hue.     There  is, 


A  DIAGRAM,  EXPLANATORY  OP  THE   SPECIAL  PROVISIONS    DISCOVERABLE  IN   THE   HEAD  OF   A   HORSE. 

1.  The  nostril  leading  direct  to — 2.  The  larynx,  situated  at  the  commencement  of  the  windpipe.  3  The 
tongue.  4.  The  oesophagus  or  gullet.  5.  The  soft  palate,  which  lies  upon  the  tongue  and  affords  a  resting- 
place  whereon  reposes  the  epiglottis,  or  the  guardian  cartilage  to  the  entrance  of  the  larynx  (2).  6.  The 
guttural  pouches,  or  large  membranous  and  open  sacs,  containing  nothing  but  atmospheric  air.  7.  Nasal 
or  frontal  sinuses. 

however,  this  difference  which  marks  the  two  processes.  The  altera- 
tion, when  quickened  by  vitality,  is  instantaneous;  but  the  change, 
when  it  ensues  under  human  inspection,  is  slowly,  and,  as  it  were,  labo- 
riously accomplished.  The  size  of  the  equine  nostrils  informs  us  of  the 
ample  draughts  of  air  which  the  animal  is  fitted  to  appropriate ;  it  like- 
wise testifies  to  the  high  state  of  that  vitality  which  could  necessitate 
such  a  provision.  Creatures  with  small  nostrils,  for  instance  ox  and 
dog,  are  endowed  with  a  limited  capacity  as  respects  nasal  respiration. 
Yet,  as  a  recompense,  such  creatures  are  formed  to  inhale  through  the 
mouth.  •  The  horse,  however,  requires  no  such  faculty,  its  nostrils  are 
ample;  and,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  mouth  is  closed  by  a 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


25 


thick,  fleshy  screen,  which  hangs  pendulous  from  the  most  backward 
portion  of  the  bony  palate. 

In  the  previous  diagram,  figure  1  indicates  the  space  allotted  to  the 
nasal  chamber,  near  the  external  opening  to  which  will  be  observed  the 
numeral  8.  The  dotted  lines  surrounding  the  last  figure  represent  the 
dimensions  of  a  blind  pouch,  or  cul-de-sac,  which  separates  the  external 
from  the  internal  wall  of  the  true  nostril.  The  existence  of  such  a  pro- 
vision has  long  been  a  puzzle  to  physiologists ;  but,  would  these  gentle- 
men have  given  nature  full  credit  for  that  care  with  which  the  Common 
Parent  studies  to  preserve  the  beauty  of  the  higher  order  of  His  chil- 
dren, and  have  considered  that  the  horse's 
necessity  for  different  quantities  of  air  varies 
with  different  times  and  during  different  occu- 
pations, they  might  have  sooner  comprehended 
the  utility  of  the  development. 

Where  the  false  nostril  is  placed  is  the  only 
poition  of  the  nasal  chamber  which  is  not  in- 
closed by  bone ;  consequently  it  is  situated  at 
the  only  place.-where  the  cavity  admits  of  dis- 
tenti»tn  and  or  contraction.  The  animal,  in  a 
passive  state,  breathes  very  leisurely ;  at  such 
times  the  nostrils  would  sink  inward,  or  be 
deformed  by  the  unavoidable  collapse  of  the 
wall,  were  not  the  false  nostril  present  to  per- 
mit its  diminution  without  materially  affect- 
ing the  external  form.      But  subsequent  to 

severe  exertion,  everybody  must  have  remarked  the  nostril  spasmodically 
strain,  ass  though  each  effort  would  crack  the  boundaries  of  the  opening. 
At  such  times  the  false  nostril  offers  no  stubborn  opposition  to  the  vio- 
lence of  respiration,  while  it  serves  to  soften  ^o^n  the  aspect,  which, 
if  laid  bare,  might  show  too  fearfully. 

A  varied  capacity  for  admitting  air  also  presupposes  a  varied  capacity 
to  alter  the  dimensions  of  the  passages  through  which  the  atmosphere 
travels  to  the  lungs.  If  the  reader  will  again  refer  to  the  facial  diagram, 
he  will  perceive  a  free  space,  in  the  center  of  which  is  placed  the  figure 
6.  These  spaces  (one  on  either  side  of  the  face)  represent  what  are 
termed  the  guttural  pouches,  they  being  merely  bladders  containing  air, 
and  communicating  separately  with  each  nasal  chamber.  A  bladder 
with  an  external  opening  is  of  course  most  readily  compressible.  That 
no  doubt  may  be  entertained  of  the  use  for  which  these  vacant  spaces 
were  established,  they  are  placed  immediately  above  the  course  of  the 
atmosphere  to  the  lungs,  and  would  contract  or  dilate  according  to  its 
volume. 


DIAGRAM   OP   THE   FALSE   NOSTRILS. 

1.  The  septum  nasi.  2.  The  nasal 
chambers.  3.  The  upper  lip.  4.  The 
false  nostrils. 


26  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

Such  a  condition  of  parts  imagines  the  windpipe  also  able  to  alter  its 
dimensions,  so  that  it  may  be  in  accord  with  other  structures;  and 
anatomy  discloses  facts  which  amply  support  such  a  supposition.  The 
larynx  or  opening  to  the  windpipe  is  composed  of  several  pieces  of  car- 
tilage and  of  numerous  muscles.  The  presence  of  the  first  plastic  and 
highly  elastic  structure  is  a  proof  that  the  larynx  is  of  no  fixed  shape, 
while  the  division  of  the  organ  into  distinct  parts,  together  with  the 
internal  and  external  presence  of  many  muscles  of  motion,  is  absolute 
confirmation  that  the  larynx  was  created  not  only  to  assume  various 
forms,  but  also  to  exhibit  different  capacities,  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  animal  economy. 

So  also  with  the  windpipe  itself,  and  the  tubes  which  proceed  from 
it;  these  are  formed  of  distinct  rings,  or  of  separate  pieces  of  elastic 
cartilage  so  curved  as  to  form  rings,  but  having  free  overlapping  ends, 
which  are  operated  upon  by  muscular  fiber. 

The  diagram  inserted  below  accurately  represents  such  a  ring;  it 
also  shows  that  the  springy  cartilage  is  not  made  of  one  thickness 
throughout,  but  is  of  that  form  which  the  mechanic  of  the  present 
time  recognizes  as  that  best  adapted  for  the  preservation  of  continued 
elasticity.  The  shape  and  the  free  ends  convinces  that  such  a  ring 
must  always  have  a  tendency  to  expand,  and  by  this  perception  we 
recognize  the  purpose  of  the  muscle,  which  draws  the  extremities  over 
each  other ;  thus  two  opposing  forces  regulate  the  capacity  of  the  circle. 


ONB  OP  THE  OAEHLAOIKOUS  BINOS,  NUMBERS  OF  WHICH  JOINED   TOOBTHEE  70RM   THE  TEAOHEA  OE  THE 
WINDPIPE  OP   THE   HOESE. 

a  One  of  the  cartilages  from  the  trachea  of  a  horse,  having  free  and  overlapping  extremities. 
6  The  muscular  fiber  situated  within  the  ring,  which  regulates  the  diameter  of  the  circlft 

The  presence  of  muscular  fiber  is  always  absolute  proof  of  motion. 
Where  muscle  exists  and  morbid  circumstances  render  motion  an  impos- 
sibility, the  function  being  destroyed,  the  motor  organ  becomes  paDid, 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  27 

or  suffers  atrophy.  The  existence,  therefore,  of  such  a  structure  in  a 
healthy  condition  is  always  sufficient  proof  that  the  function  of  expan- 
sion and  of  contraction  was  present  during  life ;  thus  we  reach  an  abso- 
lute certainty  that  the  air-passages  of  the  horse  possess  a  property  of 
adapting  themselves  to  the  necessities  of  the  animal. 

Then,  looking  at  these  structures,  we  find  them  not  only  free,  but  so 
composed  as  to  be  always  open,  excepting  when  the  momentary  swal- 
lowing of  the  food  causes  the  larynx  to  close.  To  breathe  is  the  primary 
necessity  of  life.  Health  cannot  be  maintained  unless  the  blood  is 
sufficiently  oxygenated ;  this  fact  makes  us  doubt  the  national  wisdom, 
which  persists  in  thrusting  the  quadruped  into  stables,  rendered  close 
and  hot  by  the  products  of  impurity.  <  Oxygen  is  always  deficient 
where  impurity  prevails;  and,  having  seen  the  necessity  of  its  presence, 
because  it  is  the  primary  requirement  of  existence,  and  not  because  of 
the  warmth  or  oppression  which  its  absence  generates,  does  the  author 
presume  to  oppose  his  opinion  to  the  decision  apparently  approved  by 
the  entire  British  public. 

Seeing  these  provisions  made  by  nature  to  preserve  the  beauty  of  her 
most  graceful  quadruped,  and  remarking  how  profusely,  in  various  forms, 
loveliness  is  distributed  throughout  this  earth,  we  cannot  slightingly 
esteem  the  attribute  which  Perfect  Knowledge  has  impressed,  as  an 
order  of  merit,  upon  its  creations.  Beauty  is  here  spoken  of  as  distinct 
from  gaudiness.  The  term  is  employed  not  to  represent  the  luster  of 
the  beetle  or  the  vividness  of  the  tropical  bird,  but  to  portray  that  har- 
mony of  parts  and  deep-seated  perfection  which  is  present  only  in  the 
more  elaborate  works  of  the  Creator,  and  which  renders  the  horse,  even 
when  deprived  of  its  skin,  a  picture  deserving  mortal  adoration.  Yiew- 
ing  the  world  and  its  mhabitants,  we  must  confess  that  nothing  was 
formed  without  its  uses ;  on  such  a  basis,  we  may  safely  assert  that  the 
horse  was  not  made  the  most  beautiful  of  beasts  without  intention. 
This  quality  appeals  in  a  most  mysterious  and  powerful  manner  to  the 
human  sympathies.  It  should  influence  the  mind  even  more  than  it 
gratifies  the  eye,  and  though  avarice  may  blind  humanity  to  its  claims, 
yet  even  the  most  hardened  cannot  witness  the  destruction  of  perfection 
without  a  poignant  pang  of  regret. 

In  the  head  of  the  animal  we  discern  evidences  of  the  care  bestowed 
to  preserve  a  harmony  of  form.  Above  the  nasal  chambers  are  certain 
hollow  spaces,  indicated  by  the  figure  T.  These  empty  chambers  may 
serve  to  impart  depth  to  the  voice,  but  as  the  horse  is  generally  a  silent 
creature,  such,  obviously,  must  be  only  a  secondary  purpose.  To  pre- 
serve the  undulation  of  the  outline  was  assuredly  the  primary  intent, 
though  at  the  same  time  the  vacancies  aid  the  reverberation  of  sound, 


28  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS/ 

and  with  other  structures  also  lighten  that  part  of  the  body  in  which 
they  are  situated. 

The  passage  of  the  air  to  the  lungs,  and  the  admirable  provisions  to 
admit  its  ingress  and  its  egress,  without  destroying  the  mild  and  charac- 
teristic aspect  of  the  quadruped,  having  been  described,  it  now  becomes 
the  author's  duty  to  dwell  upon  the  extraordinary  conditions  which  con- 
serve the  passages  of  the  food.     Referring  again  to  the  diagram  here 


A  DIAGRAM,  EXPLANATORY  OF  THE  SPECIAL  PROVISIONS  DISCOVERABLE  IN  THE  HEAD  OP  A   HORSE. 

1.  The  nostril  leading  direct  to — 2.  The  larynx,  situated  at  the  commencement  of  the  windpipe.  3.  The 
tongue.  4.  The  oesophagus  or  gullet.  5.  The  soft  palate,  which  lies  upon  the  tongue  and  affords  a  resting- 
place,  whereon  reposes  the  epiglottis,  or  the  guardian  cartilage  to  the  entrance  of  the  larynx  (2).  6.  The 
guttural  pouches,  or  large  membranous  and  open  sacs,  containing  nothing  but  atmospheric  air.  7.  Nasal 
or  frontal  sinuses. 

reproduced,  we  see  the  mouth,  occupied  by  the  tongue,  (figure  3,)  on  the 
base  of  which  organ  reposes  a  dark  body,  particularized  by  the  figure  5. 
This  last  is  the  soft  palate,  which  drops  pendulous  from  the  osseous  roof 
of  the  masticatory  orifice.  Upon  the  soft  palate  lies  the  most  forward  of 
the  laryngeal  cartilages,  which  is  anatomically  spoken  of  as  the  epiglottis ; 
while  the  most  backward  of  the  laryngeal  cartilages,  which  are  called  the 
aretenoids,  repose  beneath  the  roof  of  the  pharynx.  This  pharynx  is  the 
enlarged  and  muscular  commencement  of  the  gullet,  the  situation  and 
direction  of  which  channel  is  notified  by  the  number  4. 

We  thus  perceive  in  its  course  the  food  is  apparently  thrice  forbidden 
to  enter  the  gullet  of  the  horse.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  soft 
palate,  retained  firmly  in  its  position  by  pressure  of  the  epiglottis.  The 
second  obstacle  we  recognize  in  the  opening  of  the  larynx;  the  third 
impediment  appears  in  the  aretenoids,  that  seem  to  bar  all  entrance  to 
the  tube  which  leads  to  the  stomach.  Moreover,  the  gullet  itself  being 
a  muscular  organ,  in  the  passive  state  of  semi-contraction  is  closed ; 
thus  appearing  to  oppose  a  further  hirjderance  to  the  admission  of  sus- 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  29 

tenance  into  its  proper  receptacle.  However,  upon  inquiry,  tlie  reader 
will  discover  these  provisions,  which  appear  at  first  glance  to  be  ranged 
against  the  entrance  of  nutriment,  are  in  reality  only  so  many  elaborate 
protections,  all  tending  to  the  comfort  and  well-being  of  the  animal. 

The  soft  palate  so  effectually  closes  the  posterior  of  the  mouth  as  to 
prevent  that  cavity  from  being  employed  to  modulate  the  voice,  though 
such  a  pecuharity  does  not  distinguish  all  the  equine  tribe.  Everybody 
must  have  remarked  the  bray  distend  the  jaws  of  an  ass,  whereas  the 
neigh  flutters  only  the  nostril  of  the  horse,  the  different  channels  through 
which  the  sound  has  to  emerge  fully  accounting  for  the  marked  contrast 
which  is  conspicuous  in  the  voices  of  the  animals.  Moreover,  the  horse 
does  occasionally  vomit ;  but,  save  when  the  organization  is  disturbed 
by  the  agonies  of  death,  the  voided  matter  is  generally  ejected  through 
the  nostrils. 

However,  the  reader  will  perhaps  best  understand  how  the  apparently 
closed  cavity  is  rendered  subservient  to  its  uses  by  the  process  of  deglu- 
tition being  described.  A  portion  of  food  is  bitten  off  by  the  incisors ; 
the  substance  is,  by  the  action  of  the  tongue,  next  passed  to  the  molars, 
or  is  placed  between  the  grinding  teeth.  There  it  is  thoroughly  com- 
minuted. While  this  is  being  performed,  the  saliva  is  secreted  and  min- 
gled with  the  mass,  so  as  to  render  it  quite  soft  or  pultaceous.  In-  this 
state  it  is  formed  into  a  pellet,  and  is  then  pressed  by  the  tongue  against 
the  palate  or  roof  of  the  mouth.  The  morsel,  bemg  now  round  and 
soft,  is  afterward,  by  a  more  energetic  contraction  of  the  tongue,  driven 
against  the  pendulous  palate,  which  seemingly  closes  the  posterior  of 
the  orifice. 

The  last  organ  lies  in  that  direction  which  enables  it  to  offer  a  formi- 
dable resistance,  especially  when  supported  by  the  base  of  the  tongue,  to 
any  substance  proceeding  from  the  stomach.  In  the  contrary  direction 
it  is  only  held  down  by  the  epiglottis ;  that  comparatively  feeble  body  is 
forced  to  yield  before  the  greater  contractile  power  of  the  lingual  organ. 
The  epiglottis  flies  forward,  covering  the  opening  to  the  larynx,  in  which 
position  the  posterior  cartilages  or  the  aretenoids  also  fold  over  the  more 
forward  protector.  A  secure  floor  is  thus  formed,  preventing  anything 
from  falling  into  the  windpipe,  where  intrusion  of  the  smallest  substance 
would  provoke  the  most  alarming  spasm ;  while  a  roof  to  the  passage  is 
also  made  by  the  raised,  soft  palate,  whereby  the  nasal  chambers  are 
protected  from  the  encroachment  of  undigested  matters. 

A  safe  way  being  thus  provided,  the  pellet  is  shot  into  the  pharynx, 
which,  independently  of  the  will,  immediately  contracts  upon  any  sub- 
stance coming  within  its  reach,  and  drives  the  morsel  into  the  oesophagus 
or  gullet.     The  tube,  surprised  by  the  presence  of  the  morsel,  is  obliged 


30  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

to  separate  for  its  reception ;  but  it  immediately  closes  on  the  stranger, 
thereby  driving  it  lower  down,  when,  the  contractility  of  the  fiber  being 
again  aroused,  it  is  once  more  driven  onward,  and  this  action  is  continued 
until  the  food  is  safely  lodged  within  the  walls  of  the  stomach. 

Few  persons  can  comprehend  the  above  explanation  without  being 
forcibly  impressed  by  the  beauty  and  the  nicety  of  the  whole  arrange- 
ment. The  elevation  of  the  soft  palate  closes  the  nostrils,  and  at  the 
same  time  provides  a  floor  for  the  gaping  passage  to  the  lungs.  The 
motion  of  the  soft  palate  nudges  the  epiglottis,  which  lies  upon  it  and 
causes  that  cartilage  to  bend  over  the  opening  to  the  larynx.  The  bow- 
ing down  of  the  epiglottis  induces  the  aretenoids  also  to  stoop,  thus 
forming  a  safe  floor  to  the  necessitated  passage.  Across  the  chasm,  now 
rendered  secure,  the  food  is  shot  into  the  pharynx  and  conveyed  to  the 
stomach,  the  whole  process  being  accomplished  in  an  instant,  for  the  act 
of  swallowing  provokes  no  sensible  impediment  to  the  continuance  of 
respiration. 

These  things,  however  instructive  or  amusing  they  may  be  when 
related,  nevertheless  are  too  little  thought  of;  nor  is  the  horse  itself 
sufficiently  considered.  Were  the  lessons,  which  its  body  should  teach 
mankind,  properly  understood,  those  abuses,  that  are  at  present  limited 
to  no  class,  would  instantaneously,  cease  to  be  practiced.  Most  people 
of  this  country,  however,  treat  the  horse  as  though  it  were  an  original 
inhabitant  of  the  Enghsh  climate.  Rich  and  poor  in  this  respect  are 
equally  faulty,  save  that  those  are  most  to  blame  who,  possessing  wealth, 
can  command  the  leisure  requisite  for  inquiry,  and,  being  blessed  with 
ability  to  gratify  their  inclinations,  have  no  excuse  for  lack  of  sympathy 
in  the  pressure  of  necessity.  The  great  error,  however,  consists  in  a 
national  carelessness  about  the  matter.  The  slave  is  accepted  as  a  prop- 
erty ;  its  life  is  wasted ;  its  body  is  abused ;  man  sleeps  happy  in  the 
belief  that  animals  were  created  for  his  use.  To  render  them  subservient 
to  his  pleasure  is  the  amount  of  all  that  he  conceives  to  be  his  duty. 
The  winter's  straw  yard  and  the  autumn's  run  are  both  follies — sadly 
common,  but  nevertheless  deserving  the  condemnation  of  all  good  or 
thoughtful  men. 

The  animal  carries  about  its  person  the  sigQS  which  testify  it  once 
roamed  within  a  warmer  climate  than  our  northern  region.  The  certifi- 
cate of  its  origin  is  legibly  written  in  the  eye  of  the  quadruped.  This 
organ  mutely  attests,  that  the  temperate  zone  was  not  the  birthplace  of 
its  progenitors.  It  has  long  been  a  captive  in  Britain ;  but  the  proof  of 
its  proper  dwelling-place  no  time  can  obKterate.  The  eye  of  the  horse, 
like  that  of  the  camel,  displays  a  special  provision,  fitting  the  creature  to 
endure  the  strongest  glare  of  a  tropical  sun,  even  when  reflected  from  a 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  31 

level  waste  of  shining  sand ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  first  parents  of  the 
tribe  must  have  careered  across  some  burning  desert. 


IHE   PUPIL   OF   THE   HORSE'S   EYE  IN   THE  OPPOSITE   STATES  OF   CONTEACTION  AND  DILATATION,  SHOWING   THE 
SITUATIOK  AND   THE   USE   OF   THE   CORPORA   NIGRA. 

The  corpora  nigra,  in  the  eye  of  the  camel,  are  black  bodies,  pendent 
from  the  margin  of  the  iris.  The  purpose  of  so  special  a  provision  is  not 
apparent,  when  darkness  occasions  the  opening  to  dilate ;  but  when  the 
glare  is  powerful — so  powerful  as  to  induce  blindness  even  in  the  natives 
of  those  lands  where  a  concentrated  light  is  possible — then  the  intent  of 
its  Beneficent  Creator  becomes  apparent. 

The  pupil  of  the  horse's  eye  is  never  circular,  being,  when  much 
dilated,  rather  oblong  in  figure ;  but,  when  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of 
the  summer's  sun,  the'  opening  energetically  contracts.  Then  the  pupil 
is  best  represented  by  a  mere  line ;  for  the  edges  of  the  iris  at  such  a 
season  seemingly  touch  each  other.  In  this  condition,  the  uses  of  the 
corpora  nigra  can  hardly  be  mistaken :  the  little  black  bodies  appear  to 
fit  into  one  another,  forming  apparently  an  impenetrable  network  opposed 
to  the  entrance  of  too  strong  a  glare. 

Let  the  author  and  the  reader,  however,  temperately  consider  this 
matter.  The  pupil  in  the  eye  of  the  horse  is  not  more  distant  than  two 
inches  from  the  origin  of  the  optic  nerve.  When  the  division  to  be  seen 
through  is  so  close,  and  the  object  to  be  viewed  is  exhibited  under  the 
strongest  natural  light,  the  merest  crevice  will  be  equal  to  all  the  pur 
poses  of  perfect  vision.  The  full  glare  of  the  sun  alone  occasioning  the 
horse's  pupil  to  contract,  that  which  causes  the  opening  to  almost  shut 
also  provides  the  excess  of  light,  which  alone  could  render  useful  that 
narrow  division  through  which  objects  must  be  recognized;  while  the 
dark  bodies,  being  stationed  before  ithe  point  of  sight,  answer  the  pur- 
pose of  the  smoke  which  lads  load  upon  glass  when  they  are  ambitious 
of  gazing  at  the  sun. 

The  reader  must  have  remarked  the  pupillary  line  through  which  the 
domestic  cat  exercises  perfect  vision  during  the  bright  noon  of  a  mid- 
summer day.  The  eye  of  the  feline  race  is,  however,  possessed  of  no 
Other  protection.     The  contraction  may  be  the  effect  of  weakness  of 


32  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDEEATIONS. 

sight;  at  all  events,  the  author  thinks  he  may  conclude  the  far-famed 
eye  of  the  cat  to  be  inferior  to  that  of  a  horse.  The  domestic  mouser  is 
-popularly  said  to  see  in  the  dark;  the  steed  has  been  long  known  to 
penetrate  the  gloom  which  sets  the  strained  vision  of  its  master  at  de- 
fiance; but  it  remains  to  be  granted  that  both  horse  and  cat  are  equally 
fitted  to  roam  by  night.  The  habits  of  the  herbivorous  creature  would, 
however,  assert  it  to  be  possessed  of  such  a  faculty ;  and  the  anatomist 
discovers  in  the  visual  organ  of  the  animal  a  provision  specially  adapting 
it  for  these  peregrinations. 

Upon  the  upper  and  forward  surface  of  the  inner,  dark  chamber,  and 
so  placed  as  to  catch,  to  concentrate,  and  to  reflect  every  stray  ray  of 
light  upon  the  optic  nerve,  the  tapidum  lucidum  is  discovered  within  the 
globe  of  the  horse's  eye.  This  structure  is,  after  death,  very  bright  or  of 
metallic  luster,  and,  because  of  its  concave  form,  is  admirably  adapted  to 
its  particular  function.  That  no  doubt  may  remain  as  to  the  design  of 
such  a  provision,  the  tapidum  lucidum  is  found  only  within  the  eyes 
of  those  quadrupeds  created  to  roam  by  night.  It  is  altogether  absent 
in  such  animals  as  were  destined  to  move  about  during  daylight. 


DIAGRAM,    EXPOSINQ   THE  INTERIOR  OP   THE   HORSE'S    EYE,   AND    DISPLAYING   THE   SITUATION  OP   THE   TAPIDUM 
LUCIDUM,  OR  GLOSSY  SURFACE  DEVELOPED  WITHIN   THE   ORGAN. 

Tne  tapidum  lucidum,  therefore,  viewed  in  conjunction  with  the  cor- 
pora nigra,  becomes  an  inferential  proof  that  the  horse  originally  inhab- 
ited some  land  in  which  the,  coolness  of  the  night  offered  the  greatest 
temptation  for  pleasant  pasturage.  The  Mighty  Benefactor,  conse- 
quently, formed  His  creature  to  enjoy  the  bounties  among  which  it  was 
permitted  to  roam.  We  know  the  cat  was  imported  from  the  tropics ; 
and,  seeing  that  the  eyes  of  both  animals,  in  one  marked  particular, 
resemble  each  other,  we  may  conjecture  the  horse  originally  inhabited  a 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  33: 

warmer  climate;  while  the  likeness  between  the  equine  race  and  "the 
ship  of  the  desert"  demonstrates  that  that  locality  was  the  hottest  portion 
of  the  earth. 

The  eye  of  the  horse  is  also  provided  with  a  power  which  could  sel- 
dom be  needed  in  these  Northern  climes,  where  the  fleetness  of  the 
equine  tribe  might  readily  set  at  defiance  the  comparative  feebleness  of 
all  the  predatory  beasts  of  prey.  Besides,  the  wooded  state  of  this 
country  must  have  rendered  the  presence  of  telescopic  vision  unneces- 
sary. Upon  the  far-stretching  level  of  the  desert,  however,  where 
larger  and  more  ferocious  animals  prowl  by  night,  the  possession  of 
such  a  faculty  would  be  a  needed  protection.  Accordingly,  we  find  the 
interior  of  the  globe  to  consist  chiefly  of  water,  the  outward  covering 
being  formed  of  a  tough  substance,  which  is  easily  compressible ;  while 
all  the  hidden  portion  of  the  exterior  is  enveloped  by  muscular  fiber. 

Situated  directly  upon  the  forward  portion  of  the  ball  are  the  two 
oblique  muscles.  These  are  inserted  at  opposite  places,  and  each  pulls 
in  a  contrary  direction  to  the  other.  The  two,  simultaneously  acting, 
could  not  move  the  organ,  but  would,  obviously,  tend  to  fix  it  or  to 
render  the  globe  stationary.  The  outer  substance  of  the  horse's  eyes 
is  composed  of  a  thick  and  pliable  covering,  purely  tendinous  in  char- 
acter. The  interior  consists  of  fluid  perfectly  pure  and  transparent.  At 
the  back  of  all  is  placed  the  optic  nerve ;  while  the  exterior  is  enveloped 
by  several  thick  and  straight  muscles. 


diagram,  displatino  the  coatino  op  muscular  fiber  which  covers  the  boft  globe  op  the 
,  horse's  eye. 

The  motor  agents  are  endowed  with  an  ability  to  contract  or  to 
shorten  in  their  reach.  When  parts  of  this  nature  operate  upon  a 
plastic  substance,  which  is  filled  only  with  a  fluid,  they  must  of  neces- 
sity tend  to  alter  the  shape  of  that  body  on  which  they  repose.  The 
oblique  muscles  act  to  prevent  rotation;  the  pressure,  therefore,  can 
only  compress,  elongate,  and  force  backward  the  ball  of  the  eye.  By 
such  a  capacity  that  telescopic  property  is  produced  which  man  feebly 
imitates  by  a  complex  and  costly  machine. 

3 


34  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATION'S. 

Anatomy  also  discovers  another  important  function  proper  to  the  eye 
of  the  horse,  which  equally  indicates  a  sandy  plain  to  have  been  the 
original  habitat  of  the  tribe. 

The  soft  sand  of  the  Southern  region  would  form  a  soil  over  which 
the  equine  foot  could  safely  travel.  The  horn,  in  an  unprotected  state, 
was  created  to  journey  over  so  yielding  and  so  dry  a  surface.  Harder 
groimd  is  poorly  suited  to  the  tread  of  the  animal,  a  fact  well  established 
by  the  brittle  hoof  being  among  the  recognized  diseases  of  this  coun- 
try ;  while  a  wet  soil  is  by  no  means  advantageous,  which  circumstance 
is  amply  illustrated  by  the  weak  horn  characteristic  of  those  animals 
reared  on  the  fens  of  Lincolnshire.  The  level  of  the  desert  presented 
that  combination  of  qualities  which  could  render  the  exhibition  of  its 
speed  a  delight  to  the  unbroken  quadruped ;  while  the  warmth  of  the 
climate  would  afford  the  medium  in  which  a  lustrous  coat  testifies  to 
the  health  of  a  beautiful  body. 

In  opposition  to  the  above  inference  is  the  recorded  fact  that,  when 
English  horses  were  transported  as  cavalry  into  Egypt,  the  dryness  of 
the  climate  frequently  caused  the  hoofs  so  to  crack  as  to  render  the 
animals  totally  useless.  This  circumstance,  when  first  learned,  appears 
to  weigh  heavily  against  the  conclusion  toward  which  the  author's 
arguments  were  tending.  In  reality,  however,  it  establishes  nothing ; 
it  fades  before  rational  investigation.  A  life,  after  having  left  its  native 
country,  does  not  necessarily  thrive  when  it  revisits  the  land  of  its 
origin.  Englishmen,  who  have  spent  their  youth  in  India,  generally 
return  to  the  variableness  and  to  the  humidity  of  this  climate,  and  com- 
plain of  the  country  which,  when  it  was  quitted,  appeared  to  be  cursed 
with  no  evil  properties.  Negroes  captured  by  British  cruisers,  and  set 
free  on  the  far-famed  colony  of  emancipation,  are  ascertained  to  perish 
the  more  rapidly  on  their  return  to  Africa.  These  poor  people  are  said 
to  sink  more  speedily  than  even  Europeans  succumb  before  the  clime  of 
flame. 

The  speed  of  the  horse  would  enable  the  quadruped  to  travel  with 
comparative  ease  between  those  remote  spots  of  verdure  which  lie  scat- 
tered throughout  the  desert.  The  distance  which  divides  the'se  luxuriant 
localities  could  present  no  insurmountable  obstacle  to  the  unburdened 
steed,  since  the  domesticated  animal  has  carried  its  rider  more  than  one 
hundred  miles.  The  horse  can  endure  long  fasts,  and  even  sustain 
severe  thirst — the  colon  being  a  portion  of  the  bowel  generally  devoted 
to  the  store  of  liquid  nutriment;  but  the  distance  must  have  been 
accomplished  in  a  cloud  of  sand  sufficiently  dense  to  blind  the  creature 
which  traveled  in  the  center  of  a  moving  herd. 

The  eye  of  the  horse,  however,  is  by  nature  provided  with  a  protec- 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATION'S. 


35 


tion  against  so  terrible  an  affliction,  which  would  expose  any  wild 
animal  to  a  fearful  death.  The  outer  mem- 
brane of  the  eye  is  almost  limited  to  cover- 
ing the  more  forward  or  transparent  surface, 
being  thence  reflected  upon  the  interior  of 
the  eyelids.  This  membrane,  when  in  a 
single  layer,  is  incapable  of  communicating 
to  the  sensorium  more  than  a  feeling  of  un- 
easiness. When  single,  it  may  be  touched, 
burnt,  and  cut,  without  producing  actual 
pain ;  but  the  unpleasant  sensation  provokes 
a  desire  to  wink,  and  the  instant  the  lid 
descends  upon  the  globe,  or  from  the  mo- 
ment when  two  surfaces  of  the  membrane 
are  in  apposition,  agony  ensues. 

The  membrane  now  under  consideration 
renders  it  an  impossibility  for  any  substance 
to  get  "into  the  eye;"  the  pain  present, 
when  such  an  assertion  is  commonly  made, 
gives  the  strongest  proof  that  the  foreign 
body  is  retained  between  two  surfaces  of 
that  delicate  structure  which  is  called  con- 
junctiva. Dryness  is,  however,  destructive  of  the  feeling  and  of  the 
transparency  of  this  membrane.  Nature,  therefore,  has  created  a  special 
gland  for  assuring  its  perpetual  moisture.  This  last  body  is  situated 
immediately  beneath  the  surface,  under  the  upper  lid  and  toward  the 
outer  corner  of  the  eye.  It  is,  on  ordinary  occasions,  stimulated  to 
send  forth  its  secretion  by  the  act  of  winking;  and  the  outer  corner 
being  situated  above  the  inner  corner  of  the  horse's  eye,  the  moisture 
is,  by  the  motion  of  the  lid,  instantaneously  brushed  over  the  circular 
globe. 

The  gland  of  the  horse,  however,  has  a  distinct  use  not  shared  by  any 
similar  provision  to  be  found  in  the  eye  of  man.  In  the  human  being, 
grief  or  pain  provokes  the  secretion ;  these  are  always  accompanied  by 
floods  of  tears.  Some  writers  assert  they  have  witnessed  agony  induce 
tears  in  the  quadruped ;  but  the  author  has  seen  fearful  operations  in- 
flicted on  the  noble  animal — he  has  heard  huge  groans  testify  to  the 
sufferings  endured ;  yet  he  has  never  beheld  the  eye  overflow,  or  seen 
anything  present  which  approximated  to  weeping. 

Pain,  wben  occasioned  by  some  foreign  body  between  the  two  layers 
of  membrane,  produces  not  weeping,  but  a  positive  overflow  of  Uquid, 
the  purpose  of  which  will  be  best  explained  after  the  reader  has  been 


DIAGRAM,  EXPLANATORY  OP  THE  SITUA- 
TION OF  THE  LACHRYMAL  GLAND.  OR 
THE  SOURCE  OT  TEARS,  AND  OF  OTHER 
PARTS  PROPER  TO  THE  HORSE'S  EYE. 

a.  Tlie  outer  angle.  6.  The  puncta 
lachrymalis,  or  rouud  body,  situated  at 
the  inner  angle  of  the  eye.  c.  The  lach- 
rymal gland,  covered  by  the  upper  lid 
and  placed  near  the  outer  angle  of  the 
eye.  e  e.  The  position,  extent,  and 
doubling  of  the  conjunctiva,  or  of  the 
investing  mucous  membrane,  which 
envelops  the  outer  portion  of  the 
globe  and  lines  the  lids. 


3fi 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


made  acquainted  witli  a  particular  organ  situated  at  tlie  inner  angle  of 
tlie  eye. 

Tlie  lower  corner  of  the  organ  is  characterized  by  a  round  body, 
which,  being  enveloped  in  a  single  layer  of  membrane,  is  strictly  with- 
out sensation.  Upon  this  body  the  grime  of  the  human  eye  accumu- 
lates, and  we  shall  shortly  perceive  that 
its  presence  in  the  horse  is  not  without 
a  purpose.  Next  to  the  foregoing  de- 
velopment, and  so  placed  as  to  accu- 
rately fit  the  globe,  is  a  structure  which 
anatomists  name  the  cartilage  nictitans, 
or  the  winking  cartilage.  The  more 
forward  portion  of  this  cartilage  pos- 
sesses a  fine  edge,  while  its  base  pre- 
sents a  broad  surface,  which  reposes 
upon  the  fat  at  the  back  of  the  orbit. 
Now,  as  fat  is  not  compressible  by 
ordinary  force,  whenever  the  muscles  draw  the  globe  backward,  the 
adipose  matter  is  driven  forward  ;  this  last  carries  with  it  the  cartilage 
nictitans,  which  is  consequently  projected  suddenly  over  the  surface  of 
the  globe.  But  when  the  muscles  relax,  the  fat  resumes  its  original 
place,  and  with  it  the  cartilage  also  retires. 


THE   CARTILAGO    NICTITANS,    WHEN  REMOVED 
FROM  THE  EYE  OP   A   HORSE. 


DIAGRAM,  TO  ILLUSTRATE  THE  ACTION  OF  THE  OABTILAOO  NICTITANS   UPON  THE  HORSE'S  ETE. 

When  any  foreign  body  gets  between  the  two  layers  of  membrane, 
instant  winking  results ;  the  gland,  stimulated  by  the  motion  of  the  lid, 
sends  forth  a  gush  of  liquid.  It  is  not  simply  a  tear  or  two,  but  a 
deluge  of  fluid  is  emitted;  this  flood,  aided  by  the  action  of  the  lid, 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  31 

carries  the  foreign  substance  in  the  course  of  gravity,  or  from  the  exter- 
nal toward  the  internal  corner  of  the  globe.  While  this  is  taking  place, 
the  pain  also  excites  the  powerful  muscles  of  the  eye  to  spasmodic 
activity.  With  every  spasm  the  fat  is  displaced,  and  the  cartilage  darts 
from  the  inner  corner  partially  over  the  round  surface  of  the  eyeball. 
The  process  continues  until  the  substance  is  partly  brushed  and  partly 
washed  to  within  the  range  of  the  fine  anterior  edge  of  the  cartilage  ; 
when,  by  its  withdrawal,  the  foreign  particle  is  lodged  upon  the  round 
insensitive  body  developed  at  the  inner  corner  of  the  eye.  Toward  the 
last  point  the  tears  naturally  tend,  and  any  exciting  substance,  when 
there  placed,  is  soon  floated  on  to  the  hair  of  the  cheek. 

By  joining  these  many  proofs,  we  gain  a  moral  certainty  concerning 
the  region  whence  the  horse  originated.  The  eye  is  seen  to  be  gifted 
not  only  with  a  special  provision  against  the  glare  of  the  desert,  but  it 
also  possesses  a  peculiar  development  fitting  the  animal  to  enjoy  the 
cool  pasturage  of  the  night.  The  eye  is  likewise  endowed  with  a  tele- 
scopic power  suited  to  sweep  the  far-stretching  horizon  of  the  sandy 
waste.  Moreover,  the  organ  discloses  a  special  apparatus  evidently 
designed  to  overcome  those  accidents  to  which  inhabitants  of  arid 
plains,  when  rapidly  traveling  long  distances,  and  in  large  herds,  were 
exposed. 

The  reader,  perhaps,  somewhat  wearied  by  this  lengthened  descrip- 
tion, may,  however,  be  inclined  to  exclaim,  "So  that  we  possess  the 
horse,  what  care  we  whence  the  beast  was  derived  ?"  There  can  be  no 
crumb  of  knowledge  so  small,  but  it  is  worth  man's  while  to  stoop  and 
pick  up  the  treasure.  Its  uses  may  not  be  apparent  at  the  time  of  its 
discovery,  but  its  application  is  certain  before  long  to  repay  the  person 
who  prizes  it.  Taking  the  instance  just  narrated  about  the  horse,  an 
assured  knowledge  of  the  land  whence  the  beautiful  stranger  came 
enables  man  the  better  to  feel  for  its  requirements ;  attention  to  the  wel- 
fare of  its  life  will  be  repaid  by  more  lasting  service  to  the  master  who 
claims  it  as  a  property.  By  disregarding  this  teaching,  we  subject  the 
quadruped  to  sufl'ering,  which  cramps  the  limbs,  limits  the  utility,  and 
shortens  the  existence,  th;us  stinting  the  worth  and  curtailing  the  lease 
of  the  possession. 

When  writing  the  foregoing,  the  author  is  aware  that  gentlemen  of 
known  probity  have  reported  the  existence  of  herds  of  wild  horses  career- 
ing free  and  unbroken  over  the  plains  of  Asia.  Such  was  formerly  said 
to  be  the  case,  and  was  also  credited  as  an  established  fact  with  regard 
to  Southern  America.  Subsequent  inquiry,  however,  has  shown  that 
the  wild  animals  of  the  pampas  are  no  more  than  neglected  flocks  roam- 
mg,  apparently  without  an  owner,  but  which,  in  reality,  are  allowed  thus 


38 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


to  gain  a  cheap  livelihood  by  a'  careless  proprietor.  These  American 
herds  are  liable  to  the  claim  of  some  man,  almost  as  wild  as  the  animals 
themstlves;  so  also  the  reported  Asian  quadrupeds  turn  out  to  be  the 
recognized  possession  of  some  wandering  Tartar. 

However,  to  leave  the  consideration  of  particular  parts,  and  to  view 
the  entire  body  anatomically,  the  vertebrae  or  spinal  cliain,  as  forming 
the  base  of  the  skeleton,  becomes  of  primary  importance.  The  back- 
bone of  the  horse  consists  of  various  pieces,  so  firmly  held  together  by 
interlacing  ligaments  and  muscles  that  students,  when  desirous  of  divid- 
ing the  spine  of  a  dead  animal,  often  find  it  easier  to  saw  the  bones 
asunder  than  .to  separate  them  with  the  knife.  The  neck  is  composed 
of  seven  bones ;  the  back  is  formed  by  eighteen*  vertebrae ;  i^e  loins 
consist  of  six  pieces,  and  the  sacrum  is  made  up  of  five  distinct  parts, 
although  long  before  adultism  all  of  these  last  are  united  by  osseous 
junction. 


SOME  OP  THE  DEBP-SEATED  MTJSCIES  IMMBDIATELT  INVBBTINQ  THE  SPINE  OF  THE  HORSE. 

1.  The  hair.  2.  The  skin.  3.  Tlie  adipose,  or  fatty  tissue  directly  under  the  skin.  4.  The  burspe  mucosae, 
or  synovial  sacks  placed  above  each  dorsal  spine.  5.  The  yellow,  elastic  ligament  connectinp:  the  dorsal 
spines  together.  6.  The  spines  of  the  dorsal  vertehrje.  7.  The  semi-spinalis  dorsi  muscle.  8.  The  heads  of 
Uie  ribs.  9.  The  levatores  costarum  muscle.  10.  The  ribs. 

The  sacrum,  therefore,  is  not  reckoned  among  the  true  vertebrae,  the 
number  of  which,  however,  amounts  to  thirty-two.  Of  these  many  divi- 
sions, the  bones  of  the  neck  alone  are  not  subject  to  deviations.  The 
lumbar  may  be  five  or  seven,  and  the  dorsal  limitation  is  either  one 
above  or  one  below  the  usual  amount,  neither  of  which  varieties  are  of 
very  rare  occurrence.  The  links  of  the  back-bone  differ  in  form  and  in 
function.  The  dorsal  vertebrae  seem,  at  first  sight,  to  possess  no  lateral 
processes;  whereas  in  the  lumbar  region  these  developments  are  so  ex- 
tended as  to  constitute  the  principal  features  of  the  several  parts.  So 
also  the  two  first  bones  of  the  neck  enjoy  great  motion,  and  all  the  links 
of  the  neck  are  very  far  from  stationary.  But  the  parts  of  the  back,  on 
the  contrary,  are  all  but  fixed;  yet,  although  each  is  endowed  with  a 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  39 

very  limited  movement,  the  wliole  is  gifted  with  an  evident  elasticity 
which  affords  an  easy  seat  to  the  rider. 


THE   SPINE   OF   THE   HOBSE,  OE  THE   BASIS  OE   ITS  ANATOMICAL   FRAMEWOEK. 

Along  the  top  of  the  back-bone  runs  a  strong  cord  of  yellow,  elastic 
fiber,  which  unites  the  several  parts,  holding  these  firmly  together  as  one 
whole.  The  elastic  cord,  however,  passes  directly  from  the  last  dorsal 
spine,  to  be  fixed  into  the  back  portion  of  the  skull,  thus  skipping  over 
all  the  bones  of  the  neck.  The  fibers  of  this  cord  are  longitudinally 
arranged ;  and  however  elastic  such  a  substance  may  be,  the  dorsal 
arrangement  would  not  allow  of  that  freedom  of  motion  which  was 
requisite  in  the  neck  of  an  animal  which  was  to  crop  its  food  from  the 
surface  of  the  earth. 

The  necessity,  however,  was  fully  met  by  an  elastic  cloth  being,  as  it 
were,  thrown  over  the  cord,  and  extending  thence  to  the  bones  of  the 
neck.  By  this  arrangement,  frequent  attachments  were  avoided  and 
grace  of  outline  was  preserved,  while  no  deterioration  was  made  in  that 
provision  by  means  of  which  the  heavy  head  is  supported  without  ap- 
parent strain  upon  the  muscular  fiber.  One  end  of  the  elastic  expansion 
being  inserted  into  the  cervical  bones,  all  the  ease  and  beauty  of  move- 
ment is  rendered* possible  by  the  retractile  property  of  the  cloth-like  liga- 
ment being  fully  equal  to  the  sustenance  of  the  weight,  but  not  strong 
enough  to  resist  the  action  of  the  muscles  when  excited.  Thus,  the 
muscles  situated  at  the  base  of  the  neck  serve  to  depress  the  head ;  the 
elastic  cloth  answers  as  a  counterpoising  force,  which  steadies  the  move- 
ment ;  the  action  of  the  motor  agents  near  the  crest,  aided  by  the  liga- 
mentous elasticity  of  the  neck,  serve  to  elevate  the  part,  while  the  mus- 
cular power  at  the  base  of  the  bones  regulates  and  guides  the  upward 
motion. 

But  the  reader  may  be  desirous  to  learn  how  far  the  back  of  the  animal 
is  suited  to  endure  the  weight  of  the  rider.     The  bones  of  the  spine,  not 


iO  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

being  joined,  by  osseous  union,  may  give  solidity  to  the  part ;  but  it  must 
be  self-evident  the  cliain  possesses  no  inherent  power  to  sustain  the 
smallest  pressure.  Therefore,  the  body  of  the  rider,  when  placed  upon 
the  back,  cannot  be  upheld  by  bone  alone.  The  weight  must  repose 
upon  the  muscles  and  the  ligaments  by  which  the  solid  parts  are  kept 
together.  Man,  therefore,  when  mounted  upon  a  horse,  is  seated  upon 
elastic  substances,  animated  by  the  powers  of  vitality.  This  circumstance 
readily  accounts  for  the  pleasurable  feelings  and  the  lightness  of  spirit 
communicated  to  the  master  when  within  the  saddle;  although  the  deli- 
cacy of  the  structures  on  which  the  burden  is  cast  should  also  instruct 
that  an  elaborately  and  a  delicately  organized  body  ought  to  be  shielded 
from  labor  until  age  has  confirmed  and  strengthened  the  several  portions 
of  the  frame. 

When  contemplating  the  uses  for  which  the  quadruped  was  created, 
we  perceive  the  necessity  of  that  huge  mass  of  muscular  fiber  with  which 
the  back  is  cushioned.  We  also  recognize  the  beauty  of  intention  which 
those  numerous  supports,  called  ribs,  embody  and  declare.  These  props, 
eighteen  on  either  side,  must  greatly  strengthen  the  main  structure, 
although  each  is  of  a  loose  texture,  and  every  one  is  more  or  less  pliable. 
The  innate  property  of  elasticity  belonging  to  the  horse's  ribs  seems  to 
have  been  long  known  to  country  urchins,  who,  out  of  these  bones,  have 

/ 


THE  THORAOIO  FBAMEWOKK  OF  THE  HOKSE. 

Showing  the  manner  in  which  the  ribs  spring  from  the  spine  to  unite  upon  the  Ixine  of  the  breast. 

been  accustomed  to  form  bows  whence  to  propel  juvenile  arrows.  Na- 
ture, however,  seems  not  to  have  been  satisfied  with  this  provision,  for 
the  inferior  portion  of  the  ribs  consists  of  cartilage,  which  anatomists 
speak  of  as  the  most  elastic  substance  in  the  body;  this  yielding  termin- 
ation rests  on  the  sternum  or  breast-bone,  a  structure  more  than  three 
parts  of  which  are  composed  of  the  last-named  material. 

The  manner  in  which  the  fore  limb  is  united  to  the  trunk  likewise 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  41 

ofifers  matter  for  the  reader's  admiration.  Considering  that, the  horse  is 
a  beast  of  burden,  man,  were  he  designing  a  creature  fitted  for  such  uses, 
would  assuredly  have  sought  to  gain  strength  by  the  insertion  of  bone. 
Bone,  however,  would  have  interfered  with  that  agihty  which,  no  less 
than  strength,  is  an  attribute  of  the  horse's  body.  The  presence  even  of 
a  clavicle  joining  the  shoulder  to  the  thorax  would  have  exposed  a  jump- 
ing quadruped  to  repeated  fractures.  Nature,  therefore,  bound  the  parts 
together  by  interlacing  fibers.  And  to  afford  an  idea  of  the  marvelous 
care  bestowed  on  this  arrangement,  the  following  diagram  is  submitted 
to  the  contemplation  of  the  reader. 


SOME  07  THE  MUSCLES  WHICH  ATTACH  THE  FOEE  LIMB  TO  THE  TRUNS. 

Three  muscles  have  already  been  removed,  viz.,  the  panniculus  carnosuB,  the  levator  humeri,  and  the 
latissimus  dorsi. 

1.  The  trapezius.  2.  The  seratus  magnus.  3.  The  subscapulo  hyoideus.  4.  The  rhomboideus.  5.  The 
pectoralis  anticus.  6.  The  anterior  portion  of  the  pectoralis  maguus.  7.  The  pectoralis  parvus.  8,  The 
pectoralis  transversus. 

The  rider,  therefore,  when  mounted  on  a  horse,  is  not  only  seated  upon 
fleshy  and  ligamentous  fiber,  and  upheld  by  pliable  bone  based  upon  elas- 
tic cartilage,  but  as  the  thorax  is  supported  by  the  anterior  extremity,  he 
actually  swings  upon  the  strongest  and  most  yielding  substance  known 
throughout  animated  nature.  Could  mortal  ingenuity,  by  the  exercise 
of  any  force  or  duration  of  thought,  have  perfected  so  exquisite  a  work  ? 
But  the  mind  is  abased  and  humbled  before  the  proofs  of  Superior  Wis- 
dom, when  we  find  that  all  hitherto  made  known  is  but  a  part  of  the 
lavish  provision  bestowed  upon  the  perfection  of  God's  most  beautiful 
gift  to  man. 

The  bones  within  the  fore  limb  are  not  self-sustaining.  Remove  their 
coverings,  and  they  will  not  retain  their  several  places,  but  will  fall  in  a 
heap  upon  the  earth.     The  fact  proves  that  the  osseous  framewoA, 


12 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


althoiigh  it  confers  solidity  upon  tlie  body,  is  nevertheless  upheld  by 
the  structures  with  which  it  is  enveloped.  The  bony  column,  however, 
when  united  and  bound  together,  exhibits  an  intention  of  bestowing  elas- 
ticity quite  as  much  as  of  conferring  strength.  In  the  first  place,  the 
sohd  column  is  crowned  by  a  broad  but  thin  plate  of  cartilage,  the  yield- 
ing property  of  which  has  already  been  dilated  upon ;  so  that  the  trunk 
not  only  swings  upon  living  fiber,  but  the  primary  weight  is  endured  by 
what  anatomists  designate  "the  most  elastic  substance  in  the  body,"  of 
a  shape  and  form  which  develops  to  the  uttermost  its  bending  property. 
The  arrangement  of  the  shoulder-blade  and  the  bone  on  which  it  rests 
being  angular,  evidently  contemplates  a  yielding  to  any  force  coming 
from  above.  The  two  next  bones  cannot  be  viewed  as  meant  solely  for 
strength;  though  the  several  parts  of  the  knee  and  shank  are  slightly 
columnar  in  their  order,  nevertheless  the  pastern 
bones  again  display  an  intent  to  yield  rather  than 
a  design  at  gaining  decided  resistance.  Yet,  even 
there  remains  further  food  for  contemplation  when 
viewing  these  dry  bones  of  a  quadruped.  The 
shock,  of  which  the  rider  complains  when  doomed 
to  cross  the  trunk  of  some  poor  animal  whose 
body  has  been  disorganized  by  abuse,  is  occa- 
sioned by  the  bones  having  been,  through  dis- 
ease, thrown  from  their  natural  positions. 

Engineers  well  know  that  sand  will  oppose  the 
force  of  a  cannon  ball,  the  power  being  rapidly 
exhausted  which  has  to  travel  through  numerous 
separated  particles.  Each  grain  of  sand,  there- 
fore, being  distinct,  a  bag  of  that  substance  offers 
a  good  preventive  to  the  concussion  produced 
by  the  explosive  force  of  gunpowder.  But  the 
reader,  when  endeavoring  to  ascertain  the  pro- 
visions instituted  by  Benevolence  to  save  the 
equestrian  from  concussion,  can  at  once  perceive 
the  purpose  for  which  the  osseous  support  of  the 
limb  was  formed  of  several  pieces,  as  well  as  ap- 
preciate the  beauty  and  grace  of  motion  which  is 
thereby  assured. 

Looking  at  the  illustration,  we  observe  that  certain  of  the  component 
solids  of  the  limbs  are  altogether  out  of  the  perpendicular,  and  conse- 
quently must  receive  other  support  than  is  derived  from  the  bone  imme- 
diately below  them.  Indeed,  no  portion  of  the  structure  is  decidedly 
columnar  in  its  arrangement.     Either  the  parts  are  crooked,  or  they  lean 


THE  BONES  OF  THE  FORE  LIMB. 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


43 


in  a  direction  from  the  plummet  line.  The  angularity  of  the  two  top- 
most pieces  can,  however,  not  possibly  escape  notice;  neither  can  the 
slanting  position  of  the  pastern  bones  fail  to  attract  attention.  Noting 
these  peculiarities,  the  reader  recognizes  that  the 
bones  of  the  fore  extremity  cannot  be  self-sus- 
taining, but  they  must  be  upheld  or  retained  in 
their  relative  situations  by  the  structures  which 
surround  them  in  the  living  subject. 

The  scapula  and  humerus,  or  the  two  topmost 
bones,  are  rendered  firm  by  the  joint  action  of 
the  powerful  extensor  and  flexor  muscles  apper- 
taining to  the  shoulder.  The  pastern  bones  trans- 
fer their  weight  to  the  strong  tendon  which  passes 
immediately  under  their  lower  surfaces.  The  other 
bones  are  held  in  their  situations  by  the  energetic 
contractility  of  the  muscles  which  embrace  them. 
Hence  it  is  obvious  the  rider,  when  seated  on  the 
back  of  a  horse,  is  not  upheld  by  any  osseous  re- 
sistance. His  burden  reposes  upon  living  fiber. 
The  bone  limits  the  sphere  of  contractility,  and 
thus  gives  firmness  to  the  limbs ;  but  it  endures 
no  portion  of  the  weight.  So  exquisitely  has  na- 
ture adapted  her  creature  to  its  uses,  that  in  the 
horse  man  is  provided  with  a  means  of  convey- 
ance remarkable  for  fleetness,  but  more  wonderful 
for  the  elastic  and  buoyant  seat  which  an  admi- 
rable body  affords  to  an  ungrateful  master. 

Had  weight  been  cast  upon  bone,  the  shock 
communicated  by  placing  the  foot  upon  the  ground  would  have  been  so 
powerful  as  must  have  made  the  saddle  a  seat  of  torture.  This  is  no 
speculative  conjecture,  but  it  is  a  deduction  drawn  from  positive  fact. 
Hard  work  causes  the  pastern  bones  to  quit  the  slant,  which  is  their 
natural  position,  and  to  assume  a  more  upright  direction.  They  very 
rarely  become  actually  perpendicular;  but  as  they  verge  toward  that 
attitude,  so  as  partially  to  transfer  their  weight  from  the  tendon  to  one 
another,  the  jar  communicated  to  the  rider  becomes  most  distressing. 
The  tendons  of  the  foreleg  are,  therefore,  of  all  importance ;  the  utility 
of  these  structures  cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  appealing  to  the 
terrible  effects  which  ensue  upon  injury  to  these  organs. 

However,  that  the  reader  may  fully  appreciate  the  simplicity  and  the 
seeming  complexity  developed  in  the  various  arrangements  exposed  upon 
dissection,  the  next  illustration  is  inserted,  against  which  numerous  lines 


THE  PRINCIPAL  FLEXOR  TEN- 
,    DONS  OF  THE  FORIXEQ. 

1.  The  perforans.  2.  The  per- 
foratus.  3, 4.  Accessory  muscles. 
5,  6.  Restraining  ligaments.  7. 
The  pedal  cartilage  divided.  8. 
The  navicular  bone. 


u 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


are  fixed.  Tliose  marks  indicate  the  points  where  a  substance,  hke  to 
white  of  egg,  is  interposed  between  the  extremities  of  the  bones.  Each 
separate  bone  thus  not  only  rests  upon  a  Hquid,  but  the  ends  of  these 
formations  are  likewise  tipped  with  cartilage,  thus 
doubly  securing  the  ease  of  progression.  Nor 
have  the  perfection  of  these  various  arrangements 
received  full  justice,  for  concussion  of  the  foot  has 
not  only  to  travel  through  different  bones  tipped 
by  cartilage  and  separated  by  the  interposition  of 
a  fluid,  but  it  also  has  to  progress  through  the 
various  structures  of  which  the  limb  itself  is  com- 
posed, and  to  travel  in  different  directions. 

So  elaborate  an  arrangement,  or  one  better 
fitted  to  answer  its  intention,  no  human  study 
could  invent.  Man  has  for  ages  labored  to  dis- 
arrange the  parts  thus  admirably  adjusted ;  when 
so  employed,  he  has  only  followed  the  example 
of  the  savage  who  destroys  the  product  he  is  in- 
capable of  understanding.  No  injury,  no  wrong, 
no  cruelty  can  be  conceived  which  barbarity  has 
not  inflicted  on  the  most  generous  of  man's  many 
willing  slaves.  While  this  has  been  going  for- 
ward, nations,  at  a  vast  outlay,  have  retained 
expensive  establishments  to  entreat  the  mercies 
of  a  Superior  to  be  lavished  upon  themselves, 
and  at  the  moment  these  people  were  boasting 
aloud  of  their  refined  feelings  or  of  their  exalted 
civilization,  they  have  been  incapable  of  sympa- 
thizing with  the  agony  which  was  imprisoned  within  the  walls  of  their 
premises. 

Looking  toward  the  quarters  of  the  horse,  we  perceive  the  spines  of 
the  lumbar  and  sacral  bones  arranged  in  so  peculiar  a  manner  as  to 
excite  remark.  Those  of  the  loins  bend  forward,  while  those  of  the 
haunch  incline  backward,  thus  leaving  a  free  space  dividing  the  upper- 
most bones  of  two  neighboring  regions.  There  must  be  a  reason  for  so 
evident  a  design.  Inspecting  the  last  lumbar  bone,  we  ascertain  it  to  be 
united  by  its  lateral  processes,  yet  it  does  not  touch  the  first  sacral  body, 
all  other  parts  of  the  chain  joining  at  their  centers. 

Here  is  cause  for  reflection  1  What  takes  place  at  this  spot  which 
could  render  imperative  such  an  arrangement  ?  In  what  action  is  the 
inclination  of  the  trunk  so  opposite  to  the  position  of  the  quarters  as  to 
render  imperative  such  a  special  provision  as  is  here  exemplified  in  the 


THE  artist's  idea  OF  A  HOBSE'S 
FORE  LIMB. 

The  lines  indicate  the  places 
■where  synovia  (or  a  fluid  re- 
sembling white  of  egg)  is  in- 
terposed between  the  different 
structures. 


ANATOMICAL     CONSIDERATIONS. 


45 


skeleton  ?  In  prancing,  in  rearing,  and  in  jumping,  tlie  hind  legs  are 
firmly  planted  upon  the  earth ;  then,  by  exertion  of  the  powerful  mus- 
cles of  the  quarters,  the  forward  trunk  is 
raised.  This  action  could  not  have  been 
exhibited  had  the  spines  of  the  sacral  bones 
ranged  in  the  same  direction  as  those  of  the 
lumbar  vertebras ;  and  to  enforce  the  reason 
of  this  evident  provision  a  free  space  char- 
acterizes this  particular  joint,  others  being 
formed  by  the  interposition  of  cartilage. 

The  skeleton  of  the  quarters  is  charac- 
terized by  further  distinctive  peculiarities. 
The  sacral  bones  are  fixed  one  to  another, 
and  joining  them  at  the  spine  is  the  huge 
hip-bone.  This  is  the  heaviest  of  the  many 
weighty  pieces  which  compose  the  osseous 
frame  of  the  horse.  It  is  irregular  in  form, 
and  remarkable  for  an  unusually  rugged 
exterior.  An  anatomist,  by  simply  inspect- 
ing it,  could  designate  its  uses,  so  emphat- 
ically is  everywhere  written  the  origin  and 
insertion  of  powerful  motor  muscles.  In 
every  ridge,  in  every  indentation,  in  every 
inequality  anatomy  discovers  such  a  pur- 
pose; thus,  when  "the  gnarled  and  bossy" 

developments  upon  this  bone  are  viewed  in  conjunction  with  the  sohd 
and  uneven  appearance  of  the  lower  osseous  supports  of  the  hind  limb, 
no  person  properly  instructed  can  doubt  that  the  quarters  are  peculiarly 
the  seat  of  muscular  power  in  the  equine  race. 

Then  the  angular  arrangement  of  the  bones  suggests  the  immediate 
purpose  of  flexion  and  extension.  "Yes,"  interrupts  the  reader,  "that 
is  true ;  but  supposing  the  loose  bones  of  the  skeleton  only  to  exist,  what 
was  to  suggest  the  angularity  of  arrangement  ?"  Such  a  fact  could  be 
thus  readily  ascertained.  The  bodies  of  other  animals  would  inform  the 
anatomist  of  the  relative  situations  of  the  stifle  and  the  elbow  joints, 
while  the  different  lengths  and  points  of  bearing  in  the  fore  and  hind 
extremities  would  instruct  him  concerning  all  the  rest. 

But  no  knowledge  could  enable  the  anatomist  to  infer  the  gracefulness 
of  form  and  flow  of  line  which  characterizes  the  body  of  the,  horse,  even 
when  deprived  of  its  outward  investment.  Here  is  a  sketch  of  the  quar- 
ter after  partial  dissection.  It  scarcely  awakens  the  disgust  which  ana- 
tomical labors  generally  create.     The  elegance  which  distinguishes  the 


THE  BONES   OF  THE  HIND   EXTEEMITT. 


46 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


THE  HIND  QUARTER  OF  A  HORSE,  FROM 
■WHICH  THE  SKIN  HAS  BEEN  REMOVED. 


Hi  mg  creature  is  hardly  lost — certainly  it  is  not  entirely  destroyed — and 
the  author  is  acquainted  with  no  other  body  which  could  equally  endure 
so  harsh  a  test. 

The  inferior  bones  of  the  subjoined  sketch  lead  to  the  foot;  but  as  the 

osseous  structure  of  this  part  was  illus- 
trated in  a  previous  sketch,  and  as  the 
fore  and  hind  feet  of  the  horse  are  in  the 
leading  particulars  alike,  the  author  will 
not  fill  valuable  space  by  unnecessary 
repetition.  However,  the  hind  foot  of 
the  horse  being  the  point  whence  all  the 
strain  of  propulsion  must  proceed,  the 
part,  from  such  a  cause  alone,  will  be 
liable  to  certain  distortions.  The  evils 
engendered  by  the  cruel  impatience  of 
mankind,  which  forces  the  colt  into  too 
early  labor,  causes  the  natural  position 
of  tlie  member  to  become  altered.  The 
pastern  bones  grow  to  be  erect,  and, 
should  the  toil  still  be  enforced,  the 
shank  bone  afterward  projects.  If  these  warnings  are  disregarded,  inhu- 
manity provokes  the  heels  to  be  drawn  upward,  and  a  valuable  helpmate 
is  thus  incapacitated  from  assisting  man  in  his  earthly  task. 

While  writing  of  the  horse,  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  in  this  coun- 
try there  is  another  animal  which  properly  belongs  to  the  equine  race, 
and  which  is  liable  to  most  of  the  evils  as  well  as  worthy  of  much  of 
the  commendation  that  has  been  already  pronounced,  as  though  these 
referred  only  to  one  specimen  of  the  tribe.  The  donkey  is  much  misun- 
derstood. Because  its  name  has  become  a  figure  of  reproach,  no  writer 
hitherto  has  dilated  seriously  upon  its  requirements,  although  several 
have  been  ignorantly  sentimental,  where  suffering  needed  only  truth  to 
plead  in  its  behalf  The  animal  must  have  its  uses,  or  its  breed  would 
not  be  preserved. 

The  fact  establishes  that  the  creature  is  of  service  to  mankind,  since 
the  life,  whose  season  of  utility  has  expired,  like  the  dodo,  soon  ceases  to 
exist.  It  is,  however,  chiefly  the  property  of  those  whose  feelings  are 
subject  to  their  necessities.  The  purchase  of  such  a  chattel  is  compara- 
tively easy ;  the  food  is  the  refuse  of  the  stable ;  but  the  work  is  often 
disproportionately  heavy,  for  the  ass  too  frequently  belongs  to  those 
whose  daily  round  of  toil  would  tax  the  strength  of  the  largest  horse. 

The  prejudice  which  encircles  this  miserable  being  appears  to  be  coun- 
tenanced even  in  the  dissecting  rooms  of  the  veterinary  profession    A  nat- 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  4? 

omy  is  a  science  the  only  merit  of  whicli  depends  upon  its  being  a  literal 
record  of  facts ;  yet  students,  at  the  before-mentioned  places,  are  fond  of 
alluding  to  the  larynx  of  the  ass,  as  displaying  a  peculiar  development, 
which  accounts  for  the  difference  of  voice  between  the  last-named  animal 
and  the  horse.  The  author  could  never  discover  such  a  curiosity,  nor 
is  any  necessary,  when  the  peculiarity  of  ihe  two  sounds  is  attentively 
noticed.  One  is  a  nasal  tone,  modulated  by  the  flutter  of  the  nostrils ; 
the  other  is  a  harsh,  grating  noise,  produced  by  energetically  inhaling 
and  expelling  the  atmosphere  through  the  extended  pipe  of  the  animal's 
trachea. 

The  donkey  labors,  however,  beyond  the  care  of  its  enslaver  and  with- 
out the  region  of  human  sympathy.  Be  its  toil  exhaustive,  let  it  work 
without  cessation  throughout  the  day  and  far  into  the  night,  no  eye 
regards  its  fatigue  with  commiseration.  It  is  an  object  only  to  laugh  at. 
The  popular  belief  is,  that  the  tribe  is  so  peculiarly  hardy  as  to  be  alto- 
gether removed  from  the  necessities,  the  liabilities,  or  the  accidents  com- 
mon to  every  other  form  of  life.  All  grades  of  existence  which  men 
please  to  neglect,  they  generally  designate  as  "hardy."  Human  beings, 
however,  notoriously  become  less  "hardy"  as  knowledge  is  enlarged  and 
as  life  becomes  better  cared  for.  Will  the  time  ever  arrive  when  percep- 
tion can  embrace  that  which  we  now  view  only  as  an  object  of  fun,  and 
when  the  donkey  will  be  regarded  as  entitled  to  share  the  consideration 
bestowed  upon  all  the  other  inhabitants  of  earth  ? 

The  country  is  not  secure,  the  people  are  not  released  from  barbarism, 
while  the  pressure  of  want  can  blind  the  nation  to  the  lawful  needs  of 
the  lives  which  surround  and  which  serve  it.  Civilization  must  be  far 
from  perfected,  when  an  inquiry  concerning  the  man  who  has  beheld  a 
dead  donkey  can  make  a  large  assemblage  laugh.  The  author  has, 
however,  known  poor  families  to  be  plunged  into  deep  distress  because 
the  assinine  form  of  existence  was  not  immortal.  His  experience  may, 
probably,  be  peculiar,  but  it  is  opposed  to  the  stale  jest  of  our  theaters ; 
for  when  he  was  demonstrator  at  the  Royal  Veterinary  College,  he  used 
to  dispute  with  the  man  who  supplied  donkeys  for  the  pupils  to  dissect, 
whether  the  institution  should  or  should  not  bear  the  loss  of  such  as  died 
before  their  lives  were  required  by  the  school.  These  creatures  were 
bought  at  Smithfield,  and  brought  to  Saint  Pancras  for  animals  enjoying 
health ;  they  were  wanted  to  endure  but  a  few  days ;  yet  the  author  has 
seen  three  carcasses  anticipate  this  brief  interval  of  permitted  existence. 

The  author  can  further  testify  that,  among  the  scores  of  carcasses 
which  he  has  dissected,  he  never  examined  the  body  of  a  donkey,  how- 
ever young  it  might  have  been,  that  he  did  not  encounter  appalling 
proofs  of  internal  injuries — injuries  which  had  resulted  in  change  of 


40  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

Structure,  and  which  would  have  consigned  the  horse  to  the  knacker's 
yard.  Yet  the  animals  thus  maimed  were  working  up  to  the  date  of 
purchase ;  the  inability  to  move  was  attributed  to  the  obstinacy  which 
is  generously  supposed  to  characterize  the  ill-treated  animal,  and  the 
blows  fell  heavier  in  proportion  as  its  actual  condition  should  have 
appealed  to  human  forbearance. 


r^^^ 


STABLED  FOB  THE  NIQHI. 


To  properly  comprehend  the  sufferings  of  the  quadruped,  we  must 
know  the  country  whence  it  is  derived,  and  be  acquainted  with  the  soil 
it  is  fitted  to  inhabit.  The  wild  ass  dehghts  in  the  sandy  desert  of  a 
tropical  region,  and  for  the  products  of  such  a  locality  a  taste  is,  by  the 
English  representative,  retained.  It  lives  and  thrives  upon  the  spon- 
taneous herbage  of  the  arid  waste.  The  heat,  under  which  other  forms 
of  life  appear  to  languish,  fills  the  donkey  with  animation.  The  com- 
parative size  of  its  intestines  fit  it  to  store  away  that  amount  of  water 
which  in  the  land  of  its  nativity  is  proverbially  scarce. 

The  donkey  in  England  is  dragged  into  a  wintry  climate,  rendered 
more  inhospitable  by  the  low  temperature  which  is  the  most  prom- 
inent characteristic  of  the  country.  In  cold  and  in  wet,  the  native  of  a 
tropical  soil  must  lead  a  miserable  existence.     In  Britain,  however,  it 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  49 

breathes  and  breeds ;  but  it  is  here  on  the  limits  of  even  its  power  to 
endure.  In  Scotland  the  tribe  is  all  but  unknown.  Where  it  can  live, 
however,  no  one  thinks  of  its  real  condition;  no  mortal  is  so  weak  as 
to  waste  pity  upon  its  suffering.  Its  toil  is  without  other  limit  than 
the  pleasure  of  its  master;  when  the  day's  work  is  done,  the  nearest 
lane  is  the  only  stable  ready  to  receive  it. 

The  author  has  often,  when  passing  down  some  narrow  and  unfre- 
quented highway,  during  the  early  part  of  December,  encountered  a 
miserable  group  of  beings  endeavoring  to  afford  each  other  a  little 
warmth  by  crowding  close  together.  The  weather  at  this  season  is 
piercing  cold.  The  ground  is  squashy,  and  moisture  loads  the  atmos- 
phere. The  fierce  wind  bends  the  bare  twigs  of  the  adjacent  hedge, 
and  the  temperature  is  of  that  kind  which  heralds  the  Christmas  frost. 
It  is  not  yet  so  low  as  to  numb  sensation ;  but  it  leaves  the  edge  of 
feeling  unblunted,  that  sense  may  fully  appreciate  the  heavy  misery, 
before  whose  wildness  all  nature  moans  and  crouches.  In  such  a  place, 
and  at  such  a  season,  the  author  has  been  made  sad  by  the  living  anguish 
which  the  preceding  illustration  feebly  depicts. 

The  donkey,  in  this  country,  is  very  unfortunate  in  the  class  whom  it 
principally  serves.  The  lower  order,  though  with  impulses  untainted  by 
politeness,  yet,  in  the  struggle  for  life,  have  little  leisure  to  quicken  their 
perceptions  or  to  cultivate  their  feelings.  Their  own  necessities  forbid 
them  to  be  generous,  and  render  somewhat  rude  their  intercourse.  They 
exist  not  within  the  amenities,  but  upon  the  borders  of  society ;  the  law, 
under  whose  protection  the  affluent  breathe  in  comfort,  is. to  them  a  cruel 
institution,  which  forces  them  to  endure,  which  they  recognize  only  as  a 
restraint,  and  with  which  they  are  powerless  openly  to  contend. 

In  towns,  the  homes  of  such  a  race  are  without  attractions.  The 
very  poor  are  ignorant  of  domesticity.  They  eat  and  live  abroad,  and 
seek  their  lodgings  only  when  utter  weariness  makes  them  heedless 
where  they  rest.  If  the  lodging  be  large  enough  to  conceal,  it  possesses 
all  the  requirements  poverty  demands.  To  be  larger  is  to  be  colder;  for 
the  ignorant  study  rather  to  drag  on  existence  from  day  to  day  than 
think  to  promote  the  health,  which  is  their  only  real  possession. 

When  such  a  people  rise  in  their  sphere  of  contention,  and  can  afford 
to  discard  the  hand-barrow  for  the  donkey-tray,  the  inferior  animal  can 
expect  no  separate  lodging.  That  will  hardly  be  provided  for  a  beast 
which  the  master  was  too  abased  to  conceive  necessary  for  the  members 
of  his  family. 

The  donkey  is  hailed  as  a  new  possession ;  and  for  security,  not  from 
any  loftier  consideration,  it  has  to  share  the  proprietor's  home.  No 
hole  can  be  too  narrow,  too  dark,  or  too  stifling  for  the  animal's  abode, 

4 


50 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 


so  that  it  provides  the  safe  keeping  for  which  it  is  sought.  Humanity 
shudders  as  it  pictures  the  strange  places  which  poverty  may  view  as 
the  fitting  homes  of  its  dependants  I 

The  young  horse  may  be  stinted  in  its  food,  but  it  is  spared  from  work 
until  a  certain  period  has  arrived.  All  classes  have  their  stated  ages 
when  the  colt  should  first  begin  to  labor ;  but  the  ass  has  no  recognized 
season  of  rest,  even  for  its  immaturity.  It  is  forced  to  work  so  soon  as 
need  can  see  in  the  growing  body  a  capacity  to  assist.  Foals  are  often 
to  be  seen  dragging  loaded  trays  about  the  streets  of  London,  and  the 
day's  toil  is  lengthened  or  shortened  by  the  quickness  or  the  slowness  of 
the  day's  sale.  The  food  is,  during  this  time,  the  refuse  of  the  stock; 
seldom  can  the  owner  spare  from  his  earnings  that  which -will  purchase 
fodder  for  the  life  which  is  the  partner  of  his  fatigues. 


THE  DONKET'S  PEEPAEATION  for  the  labor  op  the  DAT. 


The  donkey  is  harnessed  for  the  early  market.  The  costermonger 
rides  with  his  family  to  make  his  bargains  for  the  day ;  and  the  stock- 
in-trade  being  procured,  he  and  they  ride  with  it  back  again.  The  very 
poor  never  walk,  save  upon  necessity,  and  seem  never  to  conceive  their 
animals  can  be  tired  or  overladen.  The  wretched  quadruped,  on  home 
being  reached,  is  not  released  and  permitted  to  rest.  It  has  to  support 
the  tray  while  the  family  wash  the  stock,  display  the  viands,  and  get  their 
morning  meal ;  after  which  it  is  started  with  a  kick  and  a  blow,,  and  an 
exclamation  of,  "  Come  up,  lazy  I  why,  what  ails  ye,  this  maming?" 

Animals  have  generally  less  ability  to  endure  fatigue  than  hav<4  the 


ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS.  51 

numan  race ;  but  if  the  donkey  has  to  work  before  man's  daily  roundl 
commences,  so  also  do  its  toils  increase  after  the  period  of  mortal  labor 
has  been  fulfilled.  My  readers  must  recollect  to  have  frequently  beheld 
the  coster's  tray,  now  emptied  of  the  green  stock  of  the  morning,  but 
occupied  by  several  shouting  fellows,  and  drawn  past  the  windows  by  a 
little  donkey.  The  street  purveyor  of  vegetables  often  travels  far  to 
dispose  of  his  wares.  But  the  green  stuff  distributed,  he  considers  his 
labors  for  the  day  to  be  ended.  He  then  has  time  to  appreciate  his  own 
sensations.  He  flings  his  body  full  length  upon  the  tray,  and,  with  the 
good  nature  which  belongs  to  his  class,  does  not  refuse  a  ride  to  any 
wayfarer  so  long  as  the  vehicle  can  accommodate  another  passenger. 
All,  then,  fully  impressed  with  the  popular  credulities  concerning  the 
donkey,  commence  shouting  and  thumping,  while  the  animal,  which  has 
been  upon  its  legs  before  the  light  began,  is  forced  to  travel  homeward 
at  a  pace  which  is  compelled  to  be  faster  in  proportion  as  it  may  be  dis- 
tant from  its  lodging. 

In  the  country,  the  houses  being  more  separated,  the  animal  is  de- 
prived of  the  frequent  stoppages  and  the  lighter  draught  of  the  towns. 
The  pull  is  heavier,  and  the  distances  are  longer;  but  still  the  donkey 
must  progress  until  the  master  has  earned  a  certain  sum,  without  which 
he  rarely  turns  the  creature's  head  toward  his  home.  If  the  proprietors 
of  asses  have  feT7  faiths,  they  are  all  thoroughly  imbued  with  one  belief, 
which  is,  that  the  animal  in  their  keeping  cannot  possibly  feel  exhaus- 
tion. Their  credulity  does  not  stay  here.  They  are  impressed  with  a 
conviction  that  no  creature  of  the  donkey  tribe  has  any  sort  of  feeling. 
The  quadruped,  they  know,  can  bear  an  unusual  amount  of  beating  with 
the  thickest  possible  bludgeon,  and  simply  requires  only  the  coarsest  of 
refuse  for  sustenance.  Moreover,  such  conviction  leaves  the  proprietor 
his  own  convenience  to  consider,  when  imposing  burdens  on  "the  beast 
within  his  gate." 

The  last  article  of  belief  makes  the  man  select  the  weakest  portion  of 
his  dumb  servant's  spine  for  a  seat,  when  he  is  inclined  to  play  the 
jockey.  The  reader,  to  whose  notice  diagrams  of  the  equine  spine  have 
been  submitted,  knows  that  the  loins  alone  are  unsupported  by  other 
bones.  The  absence  of  that  which  renders  this  region  the  weakest  divi- 
sion of  the  vertebrae,  also  makes  this  portion  of  the  quadruped's  back 
the  most  yielding  and  elastic.  Here  the  fashion  of  vulgarity  fixes  the 
rider's  seat  when  he  strides  the  ass.  The  veterinary  student  will  remem- 
ber that  few  of  the  lumbar  bones  in  the  carcasses  he  dissected,  when  at 
college,  were  in  their  integrity.  The  author  has  encountered  two,  three, 
and  even  four  bones  of  the  six  which  compose  the  part  locked  together 
by  osseous  deposit. 


62  ANATOMICAL    CONSIDERATIONS. 

Such  a  form  of  union  proves  the  animal  to  have  suffered  inflammation. 
The  injury  must  have  been  endured  and  the  agony  must  have  run  its 
course ;  for  an  osseous  junction  is  positive  evidence  that  all  the  stages 
of  inflammation  have  been  survived.  Few  persons,  when  they  behold 
the  young  donkey  stagger  under  the  weight  of  its  six-foot  rider,  care  to 
think  of  this ;  nay,  the  writer  has  beheld  really  worthy  gentlemen  stand 
and  enjoy  the  scene  of  activity  presented  at  evening  time  by  a  rural 
gipsy's  encampment.  The  women  were  laughing,  the  men  were  shout- 
ing, while  the  more  jovial  of  the  gang  were  racing  on  the  common.  Those 
poor  donkeys,  which  already  had  been  goaded  to  the  performance  of  no 
ordinary  day's  toil,  were  carrying  terrific  loads,  and  beaten  till  they  gal- 
loped, despite  the  deep-seated  anguish  with  which  they  were  afflicted. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PHYSIC,   THE   MODE   OF  ADMINISTERING  IT,  AND   MINOR  OPERATIONS. 

Let  the  reader  ask  any  gentleman  of  his  acquaintance,  "Whether 
man  is  not  morally  answerable  for  the  welfare  of  those  animals  which 
are  gathered  beneath  his  roof?"  The  individual  thus  appealed  to  wiU 
most  probably  lean  back  in  his  easy  chair,  and,  with  a  look  of  amiable 
surprise,  may  reply  "  Certainly  I  certainly  I  Assuredly,  my  dear  sir,  I 
regard  myself  as  fully  responsible  I  Every  horse  in  my  stable  costs  me 
one  hundred  pounds,  or  very  nearly,  a  year.  The  poor  animals  ought 
to  be  well  looked  after  for  that  money  1  Clerks — many  young  city 
men — receive  only  fifty  pounds  annually — from  respectable  houses  too. 
Therefore,  my  horses  ought  to  be  especially  well  cared  for!" 

But  to  drive  this  matter  home,  allow  the  author,  with  all  humility,  to 
inquire  if  it  be  in  the  power  of  money  to  discharge  the  smallest  or  the 
slightest  moral  bond  ?  Is  there  no  difference  between  paying  and  doing  ? 
May  there  not  be  certain  duties  which  are  equally  stringent  upon  the 
very  rich  and  the  very  poor  ?  Can  the  wealthy  compound  for  such  obli- 
gations, and  are  the  needy,  only,  to  be  judged  for  the  non-fulfillment  of 
these  responsibilities  ? 

It  is  among  the  worst  features  of  modern  society  that,  while  it  boasts 
of  several  worthy  gentlemen  who  can  draw  largely  upon  their  bankers, 
there  are  in  its  ranks  so  very  few,  who  would  willingly  submit  to  the 
smallest  personal  exertion  for  the  fulfillment  of  that  which  they  confess  to 
be  a  moral  duty.  "Would  these  most  agreeable  and  amiable  individuals 
occasionally  lounge  toward  the  stable,  the  cost  of  its  maintenance  might 
be  decreased,  and,  nevertheless,  the  creatures  for  whose  welfare  the 
owner  is  confessedly  responsible  be  better  treated  at  the  diminished 
outlay. 

When  a  dumb  slave  fails  in  the  service  of  some  affluent  proprietor,  all 
that  might  be  done  is  not  accomplished  when  an  order  is  hastily  given 
"to  call  in"  a  veterinary  surgeon.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  baskets  of 
drugs  are  delivered  and  paid  for ;  that  physicking  and  bleeding  are  prac- 
ticed and  remunerated;  that  a  "horse  doctor"  is  constant  in  his  attend- 
ance, or  that  a  building,  by  its  odor,  attests  to  the  activity  of  his  meas- 
ures.    No.   Man  is  formed  capable  of  investigation,  and  is  blessed  with 

(53) 


64  PHYSIC. 

a  power  of  locomotion.  A  man  is  bound  to  go,  to  see,  to  hear  patiently, 
and  to  judge  conscientiously,  of  tliat  which  is  done  to  the  lives  intrusted 
to  his  responsibility.  Had  this  duty  been  discharged,  many  processes, 
still  sanctioned  by  custom,  might  have  fallen  into  disuse ;  some  habits, 
now  indulged,  might  have  been  discarded ;  while  a  few  objectionable 
measures  might  have  been  altogether  forbidden  as  useless  formalities  and 
needless  cruelties. 

Horse  Balls — particular  forms  of  veterinary  medicine — are  generally 
sent  to  stables  by  the  dozen.  Physic  is  thus  placed  at  the  pleasure  or 
the  caprice  of  ignorance  to  administer.  The  author  has  seen  a  large 
chest  full  of  such  abominations — looking  very  pretty,  and  made  up  all 
of  one  size,  each  labeled,  and  bearing  some  distinctive  title — directed  to 
an  English  nobleman  resident  in  the  country.  Such  a  supply,  the  writer 
was  informed,  is  dispatched  to  "my  lord's"  address  twice  in  each  year, 
and  is  always  used  by  the  grooms,  and  by  the  stated  period,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  accompanying  directions. 

The  only  safeguard  attending  such  implements  of  destruction  was  that 
the  majority  were  harmless,  either  from  the  worthless  nature  of  the  drugs 
composing  them,  or  from  the  change  which  took  place  between  the  agents 
being  compounded  and  at  the  time  of  their  being  employed.  Many,  no 
doubt,  were  thrown  away ;  but  that  fact  excuses  neither  the  professional 
man  who  sent  them,  the  honorable  person  who  ordered  them,  or  the  igno- 
rant servants  by  whom  they  were  accepted.  Each  was  impressed  with 
a  belief  that  such  things  were  potent.  It  is  astonishing  how  much  of 
this  world's  sin  is  gilt  over  by  its  credulity.  All  concerned  regarded 
these  things  as  mysterious  projectiles,  strong  enough  to  regulate  the 
eccentricities  of  health  and  powerful  enough  to  vanquish  the  dangers 
of  disease. 

One  form  of  ball,  however,  is  neither  innocuous  nor  safe — it  is  the 
aloetic.  Aloes  is  the  common  purgative  of  the  stable.  So  general  was 
the  use  of  the  drug,  and  so  unquestioning  appears  to  have,  formerly,  been 
the  confidence  lavished  upon  its  operation,  that  this  medicine  always  took 
the  precedence  in  every  sickness,  and,  ultimately,  by  popular  consent, 
engrossed  to  itself  the  significant  term  of  "physic."  "Has  this  horse 
had  physic?" — "Prepare  this  horse  for  physic" — when  spoken  in  the 
stable,  signify,  has  such  an  animal  had  aloes  ?  or  imply  an  order  that 
another  quadruped  is  to  be  prepared  for  a  dose  of  aloes.  The  groom 
can  only  imagine  that  to  be  worthy  of  the  title  "physic,"  which  is 
capable  of  producing  visible  effects ;  and,  certainly,  when  judged  by  the 
stable-man's  standard,  aloes  merits  the  distinction  bestowed  upon  its 
drastic  results. 

Other  things  will  move  the  bowels  of  the  horse,  and  will  empty  its 


PHYSIC.  55 

intestines  mucli  more  gently,  and  with  altogether  more  safety ;  but  the 
stable  cannot,  therefore,  afford  to  part  with  its  favorite  representative  o^ 
the  many  forms  of  medicine.  Bran  mashes,  four  of  these  being  given 
daily,  it  is  well  known,  will  relax  the  animal's  system ;  but  the  groom 
employs  these  agents  merely  as  preparatory  to  the  favorite  dose  of 
aloes ;  and,  though  repeated  mashes  will  induce  purgation  in  the  equine 
patient,  the  groom  is  never  satisfied  unless  that  result  be  aggravated  by 
a  dose  of  aloes. 

The  horse's  body  does  not  quickly  respond  to  opening  medicine ;  but 
the  action,  once  elicited,  is  not  invariably  easy  to  command.  The  ani- 
mal's life  is  frequently  a  prey  to  a  potent  purgative.  The  veterinarian 
knows  that  the  different  creatures  vary  much  in  their  capability  of  swal- 
lowing amounts  of  aloes;  that  the  dose  which  will  not  move  one  quad- 
ruped may  destroy  the  inhabitant  of  the  next  stall.  One  creature  will 
imbibe  two  ounces  of  the  drug  without  marked  effect ;  another  will  be 
shaken  by  the  action  of  less  than  half  an  ounce  of  the  preparation. 
Nevertheless,  the  stable-man  always  craves  for  aloes,  and  always  expe- 
riences an  odd  delight  when  watching  for  its  hydragogue  operation. 

The  farmers  in  Norfolk  are  strongly  tainted  with  the  superstition  of  the 
London  mews.  They  also  crave  for  aloes,  and  the  youthful  veterinary 
surgeon  frequently  yields  to  the  demand.  Young  practitioners  delight 
in  strong  doses.  Accordingly,  a  full  dose  of  aloes  is  sent  to  the  Norfolk 
farmer,  and  by  him  rammed  down  the  throat  of  some  unfortunate  team- 
ster. The  next  time  the  novice  encounters  his  customer,  the  man  of  the 
diploma  is  greeted  with  "Hey,  doctor!  doctor!  what  beautiful  physic 
that  were  you  sent  for  Slyboots  I  Oh !  how  it  did  work  the  poor  thing, 
to  be  sure !  If  anything  could  have  saved  the  beast,  that  must  have 
done !  But  the  time  were  up,  and  he  died  of  a  powerful  inflammation. 
Thanke,  thanke,  doctor !     Let's  have  your  bill !" 

This  is  the  more  lamentable  when  we  consider  that  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten,  or  rather  in  twenty -nine  out  of  thirty,  the  administration  of  aloes 
is  unnecessary.  In  the  great  majority  of  cases,  its  place  could  be  advan- 
tageously supplied  by  bran  mashes,  which  are  readily  made  according  to 
the  following  receipt :  Put  a  peck  of  bran  into  a  perfectly  clean  stable- 
pail.  One  person  should  stir  the  bran  as  briskly  as  possible,  while 
another  person,  with  speed,  empties  a  suflSciency  of  boiling  water  into 
the  pail  to  render  the  contents  a  pultaceous  mass.  The  vessel  is  then 
covered  up,  and  when  it  has  become  cool,  the  pudding  is  thrown  into 
the  manger. 

However,  one  horse  shall  devour  bran  mashes  with  avidity,  another 
will  not  touch  them.  This  will  not  partake  of  the  potion  unless  it  be 
partially  warmj  another  will  not  eat  until  it  is  perfectly  cold;  while 


56  PHYSIC. 

most  will  partake  of  tlie  mess  if  it  be  flavored  by  tlie  admixture  of  a 
little  salt  or  a  few  crushed  oats. 

So  it  is,  also,  with  water.  Certain  horses,  when  feeding  upon  bran 
mashes,  refuse  all  drink ;  others  enjoy  frequent  draughts  of  cold  fluid ; 
while  a  third  set  seem  to  crave  warm  water ;  and  a  fourth  will  neither 
imbibe  freely  nor  entirely  abstain,  being  wholly  indifi"erent  as  to  the  tem- 
perature of  the  liquid.  Thus  the  order,  which  is  inserted  in  most  books, 
to  give  to  the  horse,  after  the  animal  has  swallowed  a  dose  of  aloes,  copi- 
ous draughts  of  warm  water,  is  frequently  rendered  futile;  for,  as  the 
proverb  teaches,  "one  man  may  lead  the  horse  to  the  pond,  but  forty 
men  cannot  make  the  quadruped  drink." 

Bran  mashes,  however,  will  act  without  the  aid  of  repeated  doses  of 
warm  fluid.  Of  themselves  they  do  not  debilitate,  though  from  the  length 
and  size  of  the  horse's  intestines,  purgation  cannot  be  long  maintained 
without  inducing  serious  exhaustion ;  and  it  is  never  safe  to  work  the 
animal  while  any  looseness  is  observable.  A  tendency  to  inflammation 
is  often  announced  by  repeated  and  liquid  discharges ;  therefore,  never 
let  the  horse  be  taken  out  while  the  bowels  are  in  a  state  of  excitement, 
for  exercise  may  increase  that  action  to  one  of  positive  disease.  Bran 
mashes,  however,  are  the  safest  and  the  gentlest  of  laxatives.  Any  con- 
dition may  be  induced,  according  to  the  number  and  frequency  of  the 
potions.  In  general,  they  act  mildly,  without  inducing  that  bodily  dis- 
comfort and  that  constitutional  weakness  which  throws  the  animal  out 
of  condition  and  renders  rest  an  absolute  necessity  for  recovery.  Alto- 
gether, these  mixtures  are  the  best  and  the  safest  laxative  of  the  stable ; 
but  even  these  should  never  be  administered  to  the  horse  without  the 
special  direction  of  the  proprietor. 

On  the  other  hand,  aloes  can,  in  no  form,  be  administered  to  some 
horses.  Yery  many  cannot  receive  a  full  dose  of  the  drug.  Several 
can  only  with  safety  swallow  the  medicine  when  highly  spiced  or  in 
solution.  While  a  few  are  all  but  insensible  to  the  action  of  the  agent. 
Alarming  spasms  often  follow  the  exhibition  of  a  moderate  quantity  of 
aloes,  which  always  renders  the  quadruped  sickly  ere  the  effects  are  visi- 
ble. The  drug,  in  most  instances,  hes  dormant  twenty-four  hours ;  during 
which  period  the  appetite  is  lost,  the  spirits  oppressed,  the  coat  dull,  and 
the  entire,  system  evidently  shaken.  It  is  not  esteemed  prudent  to  work 
the  patient  till  several  days'  rest  have  been  allowed  for  its  restoration. 

It  used  once  to  be  the  custom  to  trot  the  animal  which  was  sickening 
under  a  dose  of  aloes ;  but  experience  has  shown  the  danger  of  the  habit. 
The  horse  is  now  left  in  the  stable,  has  an  extra  rug  thrown  upon  the 
back,  while  a  pail  of  warm  water  is  in  most  instances  placed  in  the 
manger.     Where  safe,  it  is  obviously  unnecessary  to  ride  the  quadruped 


'      PHYSIC.  yi 

which  is  sickening  under  aloes;  since  the  loss  of  appetite  shows  the 
medicine  has  affected  the  system,  and  the  natural  effects  of  the  physic 
may,  therefore,  be  anticipated. 

Yery  many  animals,  when  suffering  from  chronic  debility,  may  be 
slaughtered  by  a  moderate  dose  of  aloes,  while  many  never  sufficiently 
recover  from  purgation  to  do  a  day's  work  after  the  medicine  has  ceased 
to  operate.  Of  all  the  preparations  the  veterinarian  has  at  his  command, 
the  writer  does  not  know  one  which  exerts  so  decided  an  effect  upon  the 
.constitution;  nor  does  the  veterinary  pharmacopoeia  contain  an  agent 
which  could  be  more  advantageously  dispensed  with.  During  the  years 
the  author  was  in  active  practice,  he  does  not  remember  to  have  ever 
given  a  dose  of  aloes  that  the  symptoms  did  not  afterward  cause  him  to 
regret  the  administration. 

There  is  another  fact  rendering  the  aloetic  ball  an  unsafe  agent  to  be 
intrusted  to  the  keeping  of  a  groom.  These  things,  as  commonly  com- 
pounded, become,  in  a  short  time,  as  hard  as  stones.  The  author  has 
handled  many  which  might  be  broken,  but  which  could  not  be  indented. 
Such  bodies  are  not  in  a  fit  condition  to  be  thrust  down  a  horse's  throat. 
All  unyielding  substances  are  liable  to  stick  in  the  gullet,  and  to  provoke 
choking — the  digestive  passages  of  the  horse  not  contemplating  the  de- 
glutition of  other  than  moist  and  soft  pellets  of  thoroughly  masticated 
food.  Aloes  was,  at  one  time,  in  spite  of  the  objections  urged,  very 
popular  in  the  stable ;  for  that  consequence,  the  late  Professor  Coleman 
was  mainly  answerable.  They  are  at  present  chiefly  employed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  dictates  of  routine,  and  usually  take  precedence  of  other 
forms  of  medicine.  , 

\ 


A  BAIX,  AS  SDOH  THINGS  ARE  SENT  FROM  THE  VETBRINART  PHARMACY. 

A  horse  ball  represents  some  substance  in  powder  mixed  into  a  mass 
with  some  moist  ingredient,  such  as  soft  soap,  treacle,  palm  oil,  etc.  The 
compounds,  when  united, 'are  usually  rolled  into  sticks  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  These  sticks  are  subsequently  cut 
into  lengths  of  two  and  a  half  or  four  inches  in  extent,,  according  to  the 
amount  required  for  a  dose ;  each  piece  is  weighed,  is  dusted  with  some 
non-adhesive  powder,  is  securely  wrapped  in  paper,  is  labeled,  and  is 


58  PHYSIC. 

packed  away  for  use  or  sent  out  to  such  stables  as  delight  in  strange 
property. 


A   BALL,  OF   THE   FORM   WHICH  IT  IS   QENERAIiT  MADE   TO   ASSUME   WHEN   GIVEN. 

Previous  to  a  ball  being  delivered  it  is  customary,  with  the  generality 
of  practitioners,  to  pinch  the  sharp  edge  of  the  forward  extremity  until 
that  part  of  the  substance  becomes  rounded.  The  intention,  when  doing 
this,  is  so  to  modify  the  shape  as  to  facilitate  the  passage  of  the  body 
down  the  gullet.  Where  the  medicine  is  soft,  as  all  newly-compounded 
drugs  must  necessarily  be,  the  muscular  contractility  of  the  horse's  swal- 
low would  render  such  trouble  useless ;  but,  as  the  ball  must  be  rather 
pulpy  which  can  be  thus  moulded  by  the  fingers,  it  would  be  no  more 
than  a  prudent  regulation  should  every  proprietor  insist  on  this  custom 
always  being  complied  with.  Whether  the  present  practice  in  any  degree 
is  beneficial  to  the  animal,  the  author  is  very  dubious ;  at  all  events,  the 
horse  were  very  fortunate  if  the  sharp  edges  of  the  forward  extremity 
were  the  only  danger  it  encountered  when  swallowing  the  physic  which 
is  supposed  to  be  curative  in  its  effect. 

Several  potent  caustics  rank  among  the  most  common  of  horse  phys- 
ics. Those  agents  are  of  great  power;  as  bichloride  of  mercury,  arsenic, 
nitrate  of  silver,  sulphate  of  copper,  etc.  These  burning  compounds  are 
frequently  administered  in  substance,  and  in  enormous' doses.  Even 
where  the  quantity  prescribed  is  not  objectionable,  the  form  in  which  the 
caustic  is  generally  given  is  calculated  to  be  highly  injurious.  In  the 
first  place,  the  use  of  such  things  in  the  veterinary  pharmacy  is  too  com- 
mon an  occurrence  for  the  compounder  to  bestow  much  care  upon  the 
accuracy  of  the  weight — a  scruple  more  or  less  being  commonly  esteemed 
of  no  importance.  Next,  small  thought  is  bestowed  upon  the  necessity 
of  incorporating  such  fiery  components  with  more  mild  ingredients  before 
the  mass  is  forced  down  the  sensitive  throat  of  a  living  creature.  A  ball 
made  of  linseed  meal  and  treacle  is  quickly  snatched  from  one  of  the 
drawers  of  the  surgery ;  the  powerful  agent  is  speedily  reduced  to  pow- 
der ;  the  placebo  is  torn  from  its  envelope ;  a  slit  is  cut  down  its  center ; 
from  the  mortar  the  potent  material  is  emptied  into  the  cavity  thus 
formed  for  its  reception ;  and  the  whole,  after  having  been  rewrapped  in 
fresh  paper,  is  esteemed  to  be  ready  for  delivery. 


PHYSIC.  59 

When  such  an  article  has  been  swallowed  by  the  creature,  in  whose 
welfare  no  living  being  seems  to  take  a  genuine  interest,  the  paper  or 
outward  investment  is  speedily  removed  by  the  action  of  the  stomach. 
Then,  the  retaining  cover  being  destroyed,  the  burning  mass  falls  out 
upon  the  fine,  moist,  and  velvet  coat  lining  the  viscus;  this  fact  may 
very  probably  explain  why  stomachic  diseases  are  so  general  with  the 
majority  of  old  favorites.  As  such  substances  are  caustics  when  ap- 
plied to  the  external  flesh,  it  is  only  reasonable  to  infer  that  no  tissue 
within  the  body  could  long  withstand  the  burning  properties  of  such 
potent  destroyers.  It  is  true  that  certain  inhumanities,  miscalled  exper- 
iments, have  been  practiced  upon  living  horses.  Enormous  quantities 
of  the  most  destructive  compounds  have  been  poured  down  the  living 
throats  of  submissive  quadrupeds.  Some  animals  long  survived  such 
disgusting  brutality ;  but  others  have  succumbed  at  the  very  commence- 
ment of  the  trial.  Yeterinary  therapeutics,  however,  take  no  notice  of 
such  as  yielded  to  the  smaller  dose.  The  men  who  conducted  these  cruel- 
ties delight  to  dwell  upon  the  fact  that  a  certain  horse  actually  took  so 
much  of  such  a  poison,  and,  apparently,  suffered  no  ill  effects  fi'om  imbi- 
bition of  the  deadly  potion. 


A  COMPOUND  BALI,  AS  PREPARED  IN  TOO  MANT  YETBBINABT  PHARMACIES. 

However,  supposing  such  an  experiment  were  made  on  human  beings. 
Let  a  certain  number  of  cripples  be  procured  from  the  workhouses ;  aged 
creatures  whose  span  of  existence  was  almost  run,  and  on  whose  coun- 
tenances years  of  suffering  had  impressed  the  lines  of  prolonged  misery. 
Let  such  poor  mortals  be  deprived  of  speech,  and  let  all  the  signs  of  suf- 
fering in  them  be  disregarded.  Then  force  these  wretched  beings  to 
swallow  large  quantities  of  the  various  poisons.  "Would  all  perish  simul- 
taneously ?  By  no  means.  Affliction  often  acts  as  a  defense  to  those 
whom  it  envelops.  Men  in  different  stages  of  distress  have  endured 
strange  things,  as  during  every  hour  the  record  of  calamity  makes  known. 

The  poor  animals  which  served  for  the  subjects  of  the  so-called  veteri- 
nary experiments  were  procured  from  the  knackers;  they  were  in  the 
last  stages  of  disease,  and  the  poison,  which  would  kill  healthy  horses, 
acting  upon  frames  exhausted  by  every  possible  accumulation  of  agony, 
probably  may  have  stimulated  the   exhaustion  of  excessive  debilitv. 


60  PHYSIC.  ^ 

That  which  would  destroy  an  ordinary  life,  acting  upon  an  existence 
sinking  to  its  last  sleep,  may,  to  the  blindness  of  mortal  recognitions, 
appear  to  work  without  sensible  result,  or  may  seem  to  recall  the  fleet- 
ing spirit  back  to  earth.  At  all  events,  no  sound  deduction  can  be 
drawn,  as  to  the  action  of  any  medicinal  substances  upon  the  healthy 
body,  from  the  apparent  influence  exerted  by  such  agents  upon  decrepi- 
tude and  upon  senility. 

The  so-called  experiments,  which  are  here  alluded  to  only  to  reprobate 
them  as  horrible  cruelties,  very  probably  have  induced  the  carelessness 
that  prevails  throughout  veterinary  practice  as  to  the  use  of  caustic 
bodies  among  its  customary  medicines.  Such  salts  should,  on  no  account, 
be  exhibited  in  substance,  if,  indeed,  their  supposititious  virtues  should 
recommend  them  at  all  to  the  prescriber.  During  the  years  which  the 
author  was  in  practice  he  scrupulously  abjured  all  these  abominations, 
and  the  results  which  were  obtained  by  gentler  agents  were  such  as  did 
no  discredit  to  the  adoption  of  milder  measures. 

Humanity  should  prevail  consistently  throughout  all  acts  forced  upon 
the  life  which  Providence  has  intrusted  to  our  mercy.  If  the  recogni- 
tion of  this  duty,  as  an  actuating  motive,  be  a  weakness,  in  its  adoption 
is  carried  its  own  defense.  If  charity  does  no  good,  it  cannot  possibly 
work  harm  to  the  dumb  life  upon  which  its  offices  are  expended ;  whereas, 
when  administering  balls  to  horses,  the  cruelty  often  indulged  causes  many 
of  these  gentle  animals  to  acquire  those  habits  of  resistance  which  are 
at  first  no  more  than  the  wild  efforts  of  conscious  helplessness  aiming  at 
self-defense.  Such  timid  creatures,  influenced  by  fear,  will  instinctively 
rear,  kick,  and  vigorously  attack  whoever  may  approach  them. 

He  who  will  have  the  patience  and  the  courage  to  encounter  what  is 
in  stable  language  denominated  "a  savage  horse,"  may  do  so  with  every 
confidence.  Let  him  approach  the  quadruped  alone,  when  the  groom  is 
absent  and  silence  reigns  around.  Nothing  must  be  done  quickly.  When 
the  horse  moves,  the  man  must  remaui  stationary.  Every  symptom  of 
alarm  must  be  assuaged  by  kind  looks  and  gentle  words.  When  the  horse 
is  convinced  that  no  injury  is  designed — and  it  is  astonishing  how  quickly 
a  generous  spirit  will  comprehend  the  intentions  of  benevolence — in  pro- 
portion as  ferocity  was  previously  displayed  will  gratitude  gush  forth  and 
submit  the  huge  body  to  man's  pleasure. 

If,  however,  the  person  has  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  undertake 
such  a  trial,  then,  with  an  animal  having  a  tendency  to  become  excited, 
he  must  adopt  one  of  those  mechanical  restraints  known  as  balling-irons. 
These  things  axe  not  altogether  safe  for  their  employer,  while  they  are 
decidedly  not  beneficial  in  their  operation  upon  the  quadruped.  A  ball- 
ing-iron is  simply  a  piece  of  metal,  so  shaped  that  when  thrust  violently 


PHYSIC. 


61 


between  the  creature's  jaws  it  forcibly  holds  the  mouth  open.  Therefore, 
it  will  certainly  prevent  biting ;  but  an  irritable  or  a  fearful  horse  can  reai 
up  and  strike  with  its  forefeet.  Such  an  animal  is  not  entirely  subdued 
when  the  iron  is  adjusted.  Moreover,  these  instruments  occasion^ pain, 
and  the  horse,  instructed  by  repeated  agony,  soon  grows  very  cunning, 
and  equally  resolute  in  its  efforts  to  oppose  the  insertion  of  the  dreaded 
instrument  which  causes  its  suffering. 

The  man  using  a  balling-iron  has,  therefore,  to  guard  himself  from 
blows  rapidly  dealt  with  the  forehoofs  of  a  desperate  animal. 


THE  COMMONEST  FORM  OF  BAUJNG-IBON'. 

A  A.  The  ring  of  iron  which,  being  forced  into 
the  animal's  mouth,  keeps  the  jaws  asunder. 

B  B,  B  B.  That  portion  of  the  metal  which  stec^ 
dies  the  ring  by  remaining  against  the  jaws. 

C.  The  handle. 


THE  IMPROVED  FORM  OF  THE  COMMON  BALUNG- 
IRON,  WHICH  AFFORDS  A  PROBABILITY  OP 
ESCAPE  FOR  THE  OPERATOR'S  ARM. 

A  A.  The  part  forced  into  the  mouth. 
B  B.  B  B.  The  parts  which  remain  against 
the  jaws.  C.  The  handle. 


He  has  also  to  be  ready  at  the  slightest  intimation  of  an  intention  to 
rear,  so  that  he  may  withdraw  his  arm  on  the  instant,  otherwise  the 
operator  is  dragged  upward  with  the  elevated  crest,  and,  hanging  by  the 
inserted  member,  he  is  very  lucky  if  a  broken  limb  does  not  reward  his 
tardiness.  The  use  of  the  balling-iron,  consequently,  is  not  free  from 
danger;  and  in  practice  it  will  be  found  safer  to  subdue  by  kindness 
than  to  partially  conquer  by  the  employment  of  mechanical  restramts. 


62 


PHYSIC. 


The  most  common  form  of  balling-iron  is  constructed  according  to  the 
model  indicated  in  the  preceding  illustration.  The  circular  piece  of  metal 
is  inserted  into  the  mouth  of  the  animal.  A  straight  bar  is  attached  to 
either  side  of  the  metallic  ring,  the  design  of  these  last  being  to  steady 
the  instrument  after  it  has  been  forced  into  its  proper  position.  Through 
the  circle  the  operator's  arm  is  thrust,  and  the  iron  ring  aifords  security 
so  far  as  it  disables  the  jaws  from  closing  upon  the  member.  But,  though 
safe  in  one  direction,  such  a  protection  also  creates  its  particular  peril ; 
for,  should  the  horse  rear,  the  arm,  being  surrounded  by  a  metallic  rim, 
could  not  be  withdrawn  with  the  speed  requisite  to  insure  the  operator's 

safety.  The  suspension  of  the  man's 
body  is  almost  certain  to  provoke  the 
fracture  of  his  imprisoned  limb ;  conse- 
quently, to  remedy  that  evil,  the  im- 
provement indicated  by  the  right-hand 
illustration  was  introduced. 

The  circle  in  the  foregoing  is  left  free 
on  one  side;  thus,  the  inexpert  have  a 
little  more  time  allowed  for  their  move- 
ments. The  arm  could  be  retracted  with 
greater  ease,  and  the  former  danger  was, 
in  a  great  measure,  removed.  Still,  this 
new  shape  was  not  wholly  satisfactory. 
The  form  was  fixed :  horses  are  not  all 
of  one  height,  one  breadth,  or  of  one 
capacity.  There  are  small  creatures 
designated  ponies ;  while  horses  are  not 
rarely  encountered  of  enormous  propor- 
tions. As  the  iron  has  no  power  of 
being  adapted,  the  form  that  should 
prove  not  large  enough  for  one  may  be 
altogether  disproportioned  to  another 
quadruped. 

The  weight  of  metal  necessarily  em- 
ployed to  assure  the  requisite  strength, 
also  rendered  it  inconvenient  for  a  veter- 
inary surgeon  to  carry  more  than  one  of 
these  bulky  articles;  and  though  small 
was  the  amount  of  ingenuity  which  had 
hitherto  been  lavished  on  the  improvement  of  the  thing,  for  years  it  con- 
tinued of  the  last  character.     Mr.  Yarnell,  assistant  professor  at  the 
Royal  Veterinary  College,  however,  appears  to  have  entirely  removed 


A  NEW  BAtLmO-mON,  INTENTED  BT  PROFES- 
SOR VARNELl,  OF  THE  ROTAL  VETERINARY 
COLLEGE,  LONDON. 

A  A.  India-rubber  tubing,  to  protect  the 
mouth  from  the  hEirshnees  of  the  metal 
bars. 

B  B  B.  Side  pieces  to  keep  the  iron  in  its 
situation. 

C.  The  handle. 

D.  The  lower  bar,  attached  to  the  handle. 

E.  The  side  piece,  which  can  be  raised  or 
depressed. 

F.  The  screw,  at  the  extremity  of  the 
Bide  piece. 

G.  The  nut  which,  fastened  to  the  handle, 
acts  upon  the  screw  and  fixes  its  position. 


PHYSIC. 


63 


all  former  objections,  and  to  have  invented  a  balling-iron  wbicli  seems 
to  possess  all  the  qualities  that  such  an  instrument  is  capable  of  exhib- 
iting. The  restraining  bars  of  this  last  amendment  are  formed  of  pol- 
ished steel,  and  are  covered  with  a  stout  piece,  of  India-rubber  tubing, 
thus  in  some  measure  protecting  the  mouth  of  the  creature  from  injury 
by  what  hitherto  was  the  exposed  metal.  The  lower  bar,  moreover,  is 
attached  to  the  handle,  and  the  handle  can  be  readily  raised  or  depressed 
by  turning  the  nut  situated  at  its  base.  It  can,  therefore,  be  quickly 
adapted  to  any  possible  capacity  of  jaw. 


THE  USUAL  MANNER  OP  GIVINO  A  BAIi. 


Such  a  form  of  immunity  is,  however,  seldom  sought,  save  by  the  very 
mexperienced  in  the  veterinary  practice.  A  few  years  of  active  employ- 
ment enables  any  person  to  discard  this  defense.  A  suflScient  security 
is  in  all  ordinary  cases  afforded  by  the  horse's  tongue,  which,  when  a 
ball  is  about  to  be  administered,  is  grasped  by  the  left  hand,  and  with-' 
drawn  to  the  right  side  of  the  mouth.  The  hand  thus  employed  is  fixed, 
being  lightly  pressed  against  the  inferior  margin  of  the  lower  jaw;  for, 
when  retained  in  such  a  position,  the  tongue  is  pressed  upon  the  fore- 
most of  the  huge  molar  teeth.  Of  course,  the  animal,  thus  held,  cannot 
approximate  its  jaws  so  as  seriously  to  harm  the  operator  without  biting 
its  own  flesh ;  by  that  circumstance  is  safety  supposed  to  be  rendered 


64 


PHYSIC. 


certain.  But  should  violence  be  exerted,  animal  fear  is  apt  to  be  supei. 
rior  to  bodily  pain ;  the  tongue  and  arm  may  be  simultaneously  bitten 
through.  The  practiced  veterinary  surgeon,  however,  takes  advantage 
of  the  first  emotion  of  surprise  which  the  creature  experiences  at  the 
liberties  taken  with,  and  the  indignities  offered  to,  its  person.  Having 
the  ball  ready  in  the  right  hand,  he,  standing  on  the  left  side,  quickly 
introduces  the  bolus  into  the  wondering  quadruped's  mouth. 

The  medicine  is  lodged  at  the  back  portion  of  the  tongue,  whence,  as 
the  horse  does  not  expectorate,  the  creature  has  no  ability  of  expelling 
it,  save  only  by  coughing.  During  the  spasm,  which  accompanies  this 
act,  the  soft  palate  is  raised  and  the  ball  is  carried  outward  with  the 
volume  of  violently-expired  breath.  Some  horses  acquire  a  habit  of 
thus  returning  all  forms  of  physic,  and  will  cough  up  a  ball  twenty  times. 
Such  a  circumstance  illustrates  the  necessity  of  distracting  the  attention 
of  the  quadruped  the  instant  the  hand  is  retracted ;  for  in  the  confusion 
of  the  moment  the  most  inveterate  "dodger"  may  be  surprised  into 
swallowing  any  abhorrent  morsel. 


IHB  CUSTOMARY  MODB  OF  DISTRACTING  THE  HORSE'S  ATTENTION,  AFTER  IT  HAS  RECKIVEB  A  BALIi. 

The  hand,  during  the  delivery  of  the  ball,  being  rapidly  thrust  into 
the  mouth,  is  frequently  cut  by  the  sharp  edges  of  the  molar  teeth.  No 
knowledge,  which  has  hitherto  been  attained  by  veterinary  science,  can 
point  out  the  animal  possessed  of  grinders  of  this  dangerous  description, 
and  the  only  protection  as  yet  suggested  is  to  cover  the  hand  with  a 
glove.     But  a  glove  cannot  be  washed  and  dried  so  readily  as  the  hand; 


PHYSIC. 


65 


it,  moreover,  is  highly  objectionable  to  introduce  the  saliva  of  one  animal 
into  the  mouth  of  another,  as  disease  may  be  thus  conveyed  from  horse 
to  horse  also,  it  being  impossible  to  provide  a  new  glove  with  every 
fresh  patient,  the  protection  is  not  universally  adopted. 

The  medicine  being  delivered,  the  hand  is  quickly  withdrawn,  and  the 
jaws  of  the  animal  are  clapped  together.  The  nose  is  then  rubbed  some- 
what roughly,  for — the  upper  Up  being  the  organ  of  prehension,  as  well 
as  the  seat  of  feeling,  in  the  horse — this  part  is  excited  with  the  design 
of  preventing  the  quadruped  from  dwelling  too  intently  on  the  unpleasant 
nature  of  the  substance  which  has  just  been  forced  into  its  mouth. 


A  BALL  BEING  ADMlinSTERED  ACCORDlNa  TO  MR.  GOWINQ'S  DIRECTIOIf. 


Mr.  Gowing,  the  excellent  veterinary  surgeon,  of  Camden  Town,  has, 
with  his  usual  ingenuity,  endeavored  to  remove  those  objections  to  which 
the  previous  manner  of  delivering  a  ball  is  obviously  liable.  This  gen- 
tleman grasps  the  tongue  rather  higher  up  than  is  customary;  and, 
having  done  so,  does  not  retract  the  member,  but  fixes  the  hand  upon 
the  gums  which  cover  the  upper  margin  of  the  lower  jaw.  The  point 
of  the  tongue  protrudes  between  the  thumb  and  fingers,  and  it  is  then 
plain  that  the  anunal  cannot  close  the  mouth  without  biting  upon  its 
own  flesh. 

Yet  candor  obliges  the  author  to  state  that  he  does  not  view  this 
method  of  graspmg  the  tongue  as  an  improvement  on  the  old  practice. 
The  tongue,  not  being  drawn  out  of  the  mouth,  is  not  so  decidedly  fixed 


66  PHYSIC. 

upon  the  molar  teeth;  while  the  hand  appears  to  be  placed  in  a  some- 
what dangerous  position.  For  if,  under  excitement,  the  horse  can  become 
so  oblivious  as  actually  to  bite  through  its  own  flesh,  how  would  the 
hand  of  the  operator  fare  when  the  closing  of  the  jaws  should  lacerate 
the  lingual  body?  The  only  advantage  which  can  attend  upon  Mr. 
Gowing's  proposed  plan  must  result  from  the  smaller  outrage  it  offers, 
thus  leaving  the  amiable  disposition  of  the  animal  the  better  chance  of 
controlling  its  emotions. 

It  is,  therefore,  demonstrated  the  tongue  can  afford  the  operator  no 
decided  protection ;  the  question,  consequently,  resolves  itself  into  which 
of  the  methods  affords  the  hand  the  greatest  immunity,  should  the  animal 
become  alarmed.  The  author  cannot  but  think  the  outside  of  the  jaw  is, 
under  such  circumstances  preferable  to  the  interior  of  the  mouth. 


ME.  qowinq's  excellent  manner  of  deuverinq  a  ball. 

However,  the  method  proposed  by  Mr.  GoWing  for  holding  and  deliv- 
ering the  ball  is  unobjectionable.  According  to  the  plan  adopted  by  that 
gentleman,  the  knuckles  are  not  elevated ;  but  the  hand  is  extended,  the 
thumb  and  fingers  being  all  brought  upon  one  level  and  all  held  close 
together.  The  ball  is  placed  between  the  fore  and  middle  fingers,  on 
the  same  level  as  the  hand  generally,  being  retained  simply  by  slight 
lateral  pressure.  In  this  position  it  is  introduced,  and  evidently  de- 
mands less  space  for  its  entrance  than  was  required  according  to  the 
former  system.  When  the  ball  has  been  advanced  to  the  desired  situa- 
tion, a  separation  of  the  fingers  allows  the  morsel  to  drop  into  its  place. 

Some  stress,  however,  is  laid  upon  the  manner  of  clasping  the  head 
after  the  ball  has  been  lodged.  Mr.  Gowing  claps-to  the  jaws  and  evi- 
dently contemplates  holding  them  in  apposition.  This  is  a  mistake; 
for  the  muscles  of  the  horse  are  not  to  be  controlled  by  the  utmost  power 
of  the  strongest  human  being.  The  old  custom,  which  applied  friction 
on  the  most  sensitive  portion  of  the  horse's  body,  the  writer  esteems  as 
better  calculated  to  distract  the  attention  of  the  quadruped. 

The  delivery  of  a  horse  ball  is,  however,  rendered  difficult  in  propor- 
tion to  the  number  of  persons  who  surround  the  animal,  and  to  the  noise 
made  on  the  occasion.     For  the  above  reason,  all  the  pupils  at  public 


PHYSIC. 


61 


schools  have  to  learn  this  portion  of  their  profession  under  heavy  diffi- 
culties. The  fuss  which  accompanies  this  simple  operation  in  such  insti- 
tutions alarms  the  horse.  It  is  turned  round  in  its  stall ;  the  twitch  is 
put  upon  the  upper  lip ;  a  futile  attempt  is  made  to  hold  the  jaws  apart; 
while  the  nervousness  of  the  young  student  who  is  about  to  perform, — 
all  are  likely  to  exercise  an  evil  influence  upon  a  sensitive  and  a  timid 
creature. 


BIB.  GOWINa'S  METHOD  OF  ORASPINO  THE  JAWS  AFTER  THE  DELIYERT  OF  A  BALL. 


Veterinary  surgeons,  however,  soon  learn  to  give  a  ball  with  greater 
speed  and  with  less  ceremony.  They  go  alone  up  to  the  head,  and 
play  for  a  time  with  the  quadruped's  face.  Confidence  being  thus  esti^- 
lished,  the  practitioner  gently  withdraws  the  creature's  tongue.  This 
being  accomplished,  of  course  the  jaws  are  sundered ;  when,  without 
any  sign  of  flurry,  the  hand  is  introduced  into  the  cavity  and  the  medi- 
cine properly  lodged.  After  such  a  manner,  the  practiced  veterinarian 
gives  many  balls  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  is  hardly  ever  known  to 
fail.     Indeed,  were  the  practitioner,  when  going  his  rounds,  to  wait  iill 


68 


PHYSIC. 


four  or  live  assistants  could  be  collected  ere  he  administered  the  requisite 
medicine,  the  duties  of  the  day  could  never  be  discharged. 


THE   QHIET   METHOD   OF   GIVING   A   BALL. 


The  physic  being  introduced  into  the  mouth,  the  person  who  has 
undertaken  to  deliver  it  should  on  no  account  esteem  his  business 
finished,  and  thereon  leave  the  stable.  He  should  proceed  to  the  left 
side  of  the  horse  and  watch  the  neck.  In  that  position,  when  the  animal 
swallows,  any  substance  can  be  seen  to  travel  down  the  gullet;  this 
proof  having  been  witnessed,  the  building  may  be  quitted  with  a  safe 
conscience.  The  illustration  of  this  fact  was  drawn  on  the  wood  cor- 
rectly ;  but  the  artist  did  not  make  proper  allowance  for  the  transfer  of 
his  sketch  by  the  engraver.  The  last  process  has  made  that  which  was 
originally  on  the  left  side  of  the  neck  appear  as  on  the  right  side  of  the 
body. 

Drinks  or  draughts  are  not  in  favor  with  the  majority  of  veterinary 
surgeons.  Most  practitioners  urge,  in  justification  of  their  dislike  to 
such  a  form  of  medicine,  that  solutions  are  attended  with  danger — being 
apt,  when  administered,  to  pass  into  the  trachea,  and  thus  to  flow  upon 
the  lungs.  Admiw^ing  this  objection,  it  does  not  decide  the  question ; 
for  the  advocates  of  solid  physic  can  possess  small  experience  if  they 
are  to  be  told  that  balls  have  proved  injurious  by  also  entering  the  for- 
bidden channel.  Likewise,  that  when  the  popular  form  of  physic  has 
grown  hard,  much  harm  has  been  occasioned  by  the  mass  becoming  im- 


PHYSIC.  69 

pacted  -within  the  gullet.  Evil  can,  therefore,  be  caused  by  physh  in 
either  form,  if  given  without  the  necessary  caution ;  and  the  balance  of 
fact  can  incline  the  judgment  to  neither  one  side  nor  the  other. 


A  BALL  PASSING  DOWN  THE   HORSE'S  GULLET. 

But  it  is  curious  to  read  of  serious  dislike  being  entertained  against 
drinks,  and  at  the  same  time  know^  that  several  practitioners  are  accus- 
tomed to  administer  this  kind  of  medicine  after  a  particular  method, 
which  evinces  a  desire  to  illustrate  the  very  circumstance  which  consti- 
tutes the  objection  to  every  solid.  Many  country  veterinarians  are 
accustomed  to  pour  all  the  liquids  which  they  exhibit  down  the  nostril 
of  the  animal.  Now,  the  nostrils  terminate  immediately  over  the  larynx 
— the  direct  channel  is  from  one  chamber  into  the  other  cavity — thus, 
any  fluid  administered  after  so  unnatural  a  method  will  probably  find  its 
way  on  to  the  lungs. 

Such  an  abuse  of  nature's  designs  being  largely  practiced  upon  a 
powerful  quadruped,  is  proof  of  the  perfect  submission  with  which  the 
creature  has  accepted  its  appointed  master.  Such  an  absolute  negation 
of  self,  deserved  considerate  recognition  from  the  reasoning  and  superior 
being.  Veterinary  medicines  are  too  generally  composed  of  pungent 
and  of  caustic  materials,  while  the  nostrils  are  lined  with  a  highly  sen- 
sitive and  delicately  moist  mucous  membrane.  It  was  created  to  come 
in  contact  with  the  air,  to  which  the  nostrils  in  the  horse  afford  the  only 
legitimate  passage.  The  notion  of  disregarding  the  mouth  and  selecting 
BO  tender  a  channel,  down  which  to  pour  acrid  and  burning  solutions, 


70 


PHYSIC. 


appears  to  be  such  a  refinement  upon  ordinary  barbarity  as  must  puzzle 
the  reader  to  discover  a  motive  to  excuse. 


THE  NATtJKAL  CONSEQUENCE  WHICH  IS  TO  BE    EXPECTED  WHENEVER  THE  PIITHT  CUSTOM  OP  POUMNO 
DBINKS  INTO  THE  NASAL  CHAMBER  OF  A  HORSE  IS  ADOPTED. 


a  a.  The  windpipe. 


b  b.  The  gullet. 


cc.  The  soft  palate. 


d.  The  tongue. 


The  fact  appears  the  more  monstrous  when  we  consider  the  practice 
i&  adopted  by  the  veterinary  surgeon,  and  that  it  is  exhibited  upon  the 
sick  horse  whose  welfare  he  is  especially  bound  to  conserve.  The  irri- 
tation consequent  upon  so  abhorrent  an  abuse  cannot  but  be  most  pre- 
judicial to  that  quietude  which  is,  upon  every  form  of  existence,  healing 
in  its  effect.  The  motive  which  prompts  so  outrageous  a  proceeding  is 
the  love  of  display,  acting  upon  an  ignorant  or  unscrupulous  individual ; 
joined  to  this,  is  the  knowledge  that  medicine  can  be  administered  with 
greater  speed  than  when  delivered  according"  to  the  natural  method.  The 
horse  has  no  power  to  check  the  course  of  any  liquid  emptied  into  the 
nostril  of  the  elevated  head ;  whereas  the  animal  will  frequently  occupy 
a  considerable  time  before  a  fluid,  delivered  by  the  mouth,  is  swallowed. 
By  one  canal,  the  will  is  powerless;  by  the  other  channel,  volition  is 
operative.  To  save  his  time,  as  well  as  to  excite  surprise,  are  the  only 
motives  which  can  prompt  a  careless  man  to  tamper  with  that  welfare 
it  is  his  duty  to  tenderly  protect. 

To  render  this  subject  the  more  intelligible  to  the  reader,  the  natural 
process  which  enables  the  horse  to  imbibe  liquids  shall  here  be  detailed. 
The  mouth  of  this  animal  is  peculiar  for  having  at  its  backward  ex- 


PHYSIC.  '11 

tremity  a  fleshy  screen,  which  hangs  pendulous  from  the  bony  roof. 
This  soft  palate  explains  why  the  quadruped,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, breathes  only  through  the  nose ;  and  why,  when  it  vomits,  the 
regurgitated  matter  is  ejected  by  the  nostrils.  That  specialty  is  of  serv- 
ice, however,  during  the  act  9f  imbibition.  The  posterior  entrance  to 
the  nasal  chamber  being  open  and  the  head  in  a  pendulous  position, 
were  there  no  special  provision  to  the  contrary,  the  water,  after  hav- 
ing passed  the  mouth,  would,  from  the  mere  force  of  gravity,  have 

Fig.  1. 


SIAQRAH,  (FIO.  1,)  EXPLANATORY  OF  TEE  COMPOUND  ACT  OF  DRINKING  IN  THE  HORSE. 

a  a.  The  water  drawn  into  the  mouth  and  forced  into  the  fauces  by  the  compression  of  the  forward  part 
of  the  tongue  and  the  enlargement  of  the  backward  portion  of  the  organ. 
6  6.  The  fluid  passing  down  the  oesophagus  or  gullet. 
c.  The  larynx,  lowered  to  admit  the  passage  of  the  liquid. 
dd.  The  tongue,  dilated  at  one  place  and  contracted  at  another. 
e.  The  soft  pedate,  floated  upward  and  effectually  closing  the  nasal  passages. 

a  tendency  to  return  by  the  nostrils.  This  actually  occurs  whenever 
cold,  strangles,  influenza,  sore  throat,  etc.  interferes  with  the  activity  or 
the  health  of  these  parts  now  under  consideration.  Disease  renders  the 
organ  sensitive,  and  tenderness  makes  the  animal  exert  its  volition  to 
prevent  the  employment  of  the  inflamed  structure.  In  consequence  of 
this  cause,  the  nasal  chambers  are  imperfectly  closed,  and  a  great  por- 
tion of  the  fluid  imbibed  by  the  mouth  flows  forth  again  through  the 


72  PHYSIC. 

nostrils.  Such  a  tendency  to  gravitate  is,  during  health,  effectually  pre- 
vented by  the  soft  palate.  Before  any  substance  can  pass  from  the 
mouth  toward  the  throat,  that  appendage  must  be  raised,  and  its  rising 
closes  the  posterior  entrance  to  the  nasal  chambers. 

The  tongue  is  the  primary  agent  employed  when  the  animal  slakes  its 
thirst.  The  backward  portion  of  the  organ  is  contracted,  and  the  for- 
ward part  compressed  by  muscular  volition,  (d  d,  fig.  1.)  A  vacuum 
would  thereby  be  created,  were  not  the  water  propelled  by  atmospheric 

Fio.  2. 


DIAGRAM,  (fio.  2,)  EXPLANATORY  OP   THE  COMPOXTNI)  ACT   OP  DRINKINQ. 

o  a.  The  water  driven  backward  by  the  forward  dilatation  of  the  tongue  and  the  upward  movement  of 
the  larynx. 
b  b.  The  full  current  forced  down  the  gullet. 
c.  The  larynx  propelled  against  the  soft  palate. 
dd.  The  tongue,  dilated  anteriorly  and  compressed  posteriorly. 
e.  The  soft  palate. 

pressure  into  the  void  thus  formed,  (a,  fig.  1.)  The  posterior  of  the 
tongue  is  then  relaxed,  while  the  anterior  division  of  the  organ  is  pressed 
against  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  (d  d,  fig.  2.)  The  fluid  is  thereby  driven 
to  the  backward  part  of  the  cavity,  (a,  fig.  2.)  The  tongue,  during  the 
act,  continues  to  alternate  the  states  of  contraction  and  relaxation,  each 
motion  of  the  lingual  agent  serving  to  pump  the  water  into  the  fauces, 
(a,  fig.  1.)    But,  before  that  can  be  accomplished,  the  soft  palate  must 


PHTSIO.  t3 

be  tilevated.  The  soft  palate  (e,  fig.  2)  then  closes  the  nostrils,  (e,  fig.  1 ;) 
and  also  in  its  course  to  take  this  position  sets  in  motion  the  cartilages 
of  the  larynx.  The  last  cover  over  and  effectually  protecting  the  wind- 
pipe, (c,  fig.  1,)  the  fluid  is  forced  onward  by  the  contraction  of  the  tongue, 
passes  into  a  secure  chamber,  the  roof  and  floor  of  which  are  but  of  tem- 
porary formation,  (a,  fig.  1.)  Here  it  remains  only  during  the  inactivity 
of  the  larynx.  The  upward  motion  of  the  latter  body  (c,  fig.  2)  propels 
the  fluid  into  the  pharynx,  whence  involuntary  contractility  sends  it  into 
the  gullet,  the  muscular  action  of  which  tube  conveys  it  onward  to  the 
stomach,  (a  b  h,  fig.  2.) 

From  the  foregoing  explanation,  the  reader  is  in  a  position  to  judge 
whether  the  nasal  chamber  is  a  fit  passage  for  acrimonious  mixtures, 
since  he  now  understands  the  evident  pains  the  All-wise  has  bestowed 
to  prevent  the  temperate  fluid,  of  which  the  animal  customarily  partakes, 
from  intruding  upon  the  elaborate,  delicate,  and  highly  sensitive  mem- 
brane that  lines  the  air-passages.  All  veterinary  students  are  not  edu- 
cated men,  neither  are  all  attentive  to  their  studies  while  at  college ;  but 
it  should  require  an  extraordinary  amount  of  ignorance  and  conceit  to 
thus  grossly  misconceive  the  intentions  which  are  so  plainly  impressed 
upon  the  body  of  the  quadruped. 

The  author,  however,  doubts  if  those  objections  generally  advanced 
to  drinks  are  in  any  degree  derived  from  the  results  of  actual  experience. 
Balls  can  be  manufactured  by  the  score,  and  then  stored  away  for  subse- 
quent use.  Drinks  would  decompose  if  thus  mixed  and  kept  ready  in 
the  surgery.  Drinks  must  be  separately  compounded,  as  required.  Balls 
occupy  little  space,  and  being  solid  can  be  safely  carried  or  forwarded  to 
any  distance.  Drinks  being  contained  in  bottles,  are  less  convenient  for 
transport,  and  the  vessels  are  liable  to  fracture.  Balls,  moreover,  are  to 
be  quickly  thrust  down  an  animal's  throat;  require  no  assistance  for 
their  administration;  and  being  wrapped  in  paper  are  not  exposed  to 
inquisitive  discussion  as  to  their  ingredients.  Drinks  being  inclosed  in 
glass,  protected  only  by  a  cork,  are  open  to  investigation,  and  likely  to 
provoke  remarks  which  are  not  always  soothing  to  the  pride  of  a  pre- 
tender ;  liquids  likewise  necessitate  more  time  should  be  devoted  to  their 
exhibition,  and  generally  require  the  assistance  which  is  not  invariably 
at  hand  to  aid  the  veterinary  surgeon. 

The  above  reasons  and  objections  are  not  without  influence  upon 
practitioners,  whose  earnings  are  greatly  dependent  upon  the  speed  of 
their  movements;  who  generally  give  the  medicines  to  those  animals 
they  treat,  and  habitually  carry  with  them,  ready  compounded,  the  drugs 
which  they  administer.  Drinks,  moreover,  demand  several  bulky  articles 
for  their  proper  administration,  and  are  apt  to  soil  the  person  who  de- 


7t 


PHYSIC. 


livers  them.  Balls,  as  a  rule,  call  for  no  other  apparatus  than  the  hand. 
Moreover,  it  causes  delay  at  starting,  if  there  are  twenty  or  thirty  drinks 
to  be  previously  mixed,  bottled,  labeled,  incased  in  paper  and  so  packed 
as  to  be  in  no  peril  of  breakage ;  whereas  any  number  of  balls  can  be 
almost  instantaneously  transferred  from  the  drawer  in  the  surgery  into 
the  gig  at  the  door. 

The  usual  mode  of  giving  a  drink  is,  moreover,  a  complex  business. 
A  twitch  is  mostly  kept  in  regularly  appointed  stables,  and  the  string  or 
loop  is  fixed  over  the  animal's  upper  jaw,  prior  to  other  measures  being 
proceeded  with.  The  groom  then  grasps  the  stick  and  takes  his  place 
by  the  shoulder  of  the  horse.  At  a  previously  arranged  signal,  he  raises 
the  pole ;  the  string,  paining  the  gums  under  which  it  is  fixed,  causes 
the  head  of  the  quadruped  to  be  elevated.  Supposing  the  horn  having 
the  larger  mouth  to  be  employed,  the  drink  is  then  emptied  into  the 
hollow  of  this  rude  appliance  until  the  Kquid  nearly  fills  the  interior. 
The  fluid  is  next  carried  upward,  two  fingers  of  the  operator's  left  hand 
being  fastened  on  to  the  gums,  so  as  to  further  expand  the  jaws  and 
enable  the  veterinary  surgeon  to  steady  his  body  while  straining  to  ad- 
minister the  medicine.  The  large  end  is  pushed  into  the  quadruped's 
mouth,  and,  by  a  sudden  movement  of  the  wrist,  the  contents  of  the 
horn  are  meant  to  be  splashed  upon  the  animal's  tongue. 


THE  COMMON  FORM  OF  THE  HORN  EMFLOTED 
TO  ADMINISTER  DRINKS. 


AN  IMPROVED  FORM  OF  HORN. 


This,  which  is  the  more  common  method  of  administering  a  drink,  is 
open  to  several  objections.  The  horn,  being  of  a  limited  capacity,  can 
hold  but  a  small  quantity;  and  the  lengthened  time  required  for  fre- 
quent replenishing,  necessitates  that  the  animal  should  be  long  held  in 
an  attitude  of  unnatural  constraint.  In  the  next  place,  the  fluid  is,  by 
the  action  of  the  wrist,  rather  rudely  thrown,  than  gently  emptied,  into 


PHYSIO. 


t5 


the  mouth,  much  of  the  medicine  is  generally  lost,  and  no  little  of  it, 
guided  bj  the  inserted  fingers  of  the  operator,  is  apt  to  find  its  way- 
down  the  sleeve  of  his  left  arm. 

To  remedy  these  obvious  defects,  the  tip  of  the  horn  was  sawn  off; 
while  a  piece  of  wood  supplied  a  bottom  to  the  larger  extremity.  A 
rude  bottle  was  thus  formed  that  would  hold  a  larger  amount  of-  fluid, 
and  from  which  the  medicine  could  flow  more  gradually.  The  smaller 
opening  afforded  greater  facilities  for  inserting  that  end  between  the 
horse's  extended  jaws,  and  was  less  likely  to  pain,  when  introduced  into 
the  animal's  mouth.  Still,  drinks  usually  consisted  of  much  more  than 
the  horn  of  an  ox  would  contain,  and  as  the  smaller  opening  demanded 
greater  care,  when  the  article  was  being  replenished,  little  time  was 
saved  by  the  last  improvement. 


A  TIN  BOTTLE  TO  HOLD  THBEE  PINTS. 


THE  MANNER  OP  USXNQ   THE  TIN  BOTTLE. 


A  large  tin  bottle  was  next  employed.  It  is  of  dimensions  sufficiently 
capacious  to  require  no  replenishing ;  this  was  an  advantage  in  one  direc- 
tion, an  objection  in  the  other ;  for  in  proportion  to  size  it  became  incon- 
venient to  transport.  It  rather  aggravated  than  ameliorated  the  fault 
urged  against  drinks,  because  of  their  bulk.  The  mode  of  its  employ- 
ment is  made  plain  in  the  right-hand  illustration,  where  a  loop  of  string 
is  depicted  as  hung  upon  the  prong  of  a  pitchfork,  and  is  made  to  do 
duty  for  a  twitch — such  a  substitute  being  far  from  unusual,  even  in 
well-appointed  stables. 

Should  the  operator,  having  much  fluid  at  command,  fill  the  mouth 
too  full,  or  the  animal  cough  during  the  time  of  its  administration,  the 
administrator  is  saturated  with  the  medicme.  Any  irritation  of  the 
larynx  is  invariably  productive  of  this  effect;  the  result  of  which  a 
reader  will  the  better  understand,  after  the  relative  situation  of  those 
who  are  engaged  in  delivering  a  drench  is  fully  comprehended. 

The  misfortunes  which  the  delivery  of  drinks  almost  necessarily  in- 


TB 


PHYSIC. 


volve,  will  very  readily  account  for  any  amount  of  dislike  to  the  fluid 
form  of  medicine,  more  especially  when  it  is  stated  that  veterinary  sur- 
geons are  somewhat  slow  in  adopting  new  ideas,  but  seem,  with  the 
fervor  and  tenacity  ignorance  displays  toward  a  favorite  superstition,  to 
love  and  cling  to  the  practices  in  which  they  have  been  educated. 


QENERiJ.  MDTQPD  OF  ADMIMSTEBINO  A  DRIKE  10  A  HORSE. 


Else,  it  must  have  occurred  to  some  member  of  a  large  profession  that 
to  violently  oppose  the  instincts  of  an  animal  was  hardly  commendable 
in  people  who  professed  an  observance  and  a  worship  of  nature's  teach- 
ing. Most  animals,  however,  and  the  horse  among  the  number,  lower 
the  mouth  during  the  act  of  drinking.  The  veterinary  surgeon,  when 
proceeding  in  his  professional  capacity,  employs  a  twitch,  with  which 
the  head  is  to  be  violently  upheld  while  a  fluid  is  being  deglutated. 

To  illustrate  the  consequence  of  such  conduct,  the  reader  will  pardon 
the  author  if  he  state  the  results  of  such  opposite  proceedings  upon  a 
dog  in  his  possession.  A  saucer  of  milk  being  placed  upon  the  floor, 
the  head  is  lowered  and  the  liquid  lapped,  without  the  act  being  charac- 
terized by  any  unusual  circumstance.  But  should  the  vessel  be  held  on 
the  ordinary  level  of  the  mouth,  the  draught  is  certain  to  be  inteiTup^ed 


1 


PHTSIO. 


n 


by  repeated  fits  of  coughing.  Now,  the  danger  that  exists  of  the  horse 
coughing  and  spasmodically  drawing  the  fluid  upon  the  lungs,  consti- 
tutes the  strongest  argument  urged  against  the  administration  of  drinks ; 
but  such  an  objection  sounds  oddly  if  he  who  listens  to  it  is  aware  that, 
during  the  administration  of  fluids,  the  horse's  mouth  is  fixed  according 
to  the  manner  which  will  certainly  provoke  the  obnoxious  act  in  another 
quadruped. 


OrVlNG   A  BEINK,  ACCORDING   TO   THE   QUIET  METHOD. 


All  this  is  very  sad  and  may  readily  be  corrected.  Let  men  endeavor 
to  rightfully  interpret  the  disposition  of  the  horse.  The  creature  is  a 
most  pleasant  study ;  it  is  so  timid,  so  loving  and  so  confiding,  that  it 
immediately  responds  to  the  kindness  which  is  intelUgible  to  its  under- 
standing. Should  it  hang  back,  the  fault  rather  lies  with  its  limited 
comprehension  than  with  the  promptings  of  its  inclmation.  Let  the 
person  who  intends  to  deliver  a  drink  fearlessly  approach  the  animal  • 
allow  the  huge  nostrils  to  smell  their  new  acquaintance,  and  not  till  the 
process  is  concluded,  proceed  to  such  trivial  familiarities  as  may  estab- 
lish perfect  trustfulness  between  the  man  and  his  dependent.  So  soon 
as  the  steed's  confidence  is  gained,  the  animal  is  all  submission  to  the 


t8  PHTSIC. 

pleasure  of  its  superior.  Then  let  the  practitioner  uncork  the  bottle, 
and,  putting  the  left  hand  gently  under  the  quadruped's  jaw,  empty  with 
the  other  the  contents,  gradually,  through  the  interspace  which  divides 
the  incisors  from  the  molar  teeth. 

But  when  adopting  the  above  plan,  the  operator  must  be  alone.  No 
noisy  or  officious  assistant  must  be  near  at  hand  to  excite  alarm  or  to 
create  distrust.  No  pain  must  be  inflicted ;  no  angry  words  should  be 
employed ;  no  violent  or  hasty  action  ought  to  be  used  to  frighten  native 
susceptibility.  All  must  be  quiet.  Should  the  animal  be  slow  to  swallow 
a  nauseous  draught,  the  creature  must  not  be  scolded  for  a  natural  dis- 
like ;  but  it  should  be  encouraged  by  kind  and  cheerful  accents,  spoken 
as  softly  as  though  the  words  were  addressed  to  a  sick  child.  So  alive 
is  the  equine  heart  to  the  seductiveness  of  benevolence,  so  unsuspecting 
is  the  full  confidence  of  its  species,  and  so  happy  is  its  spirit  made  by 
the  praises  of  its  superior,  that  rather  than  not  deserve  his  commenda- 
tion it  will  gulp  down  the  most  distasteful  solution. 

Blistering. — It  is  not  praiseworthy  to  the  human  race  that  the  animal 
given  to  man,  with  a  mind  thus  impressible  and  yearning  for  kindness, 
should  be  treated  with  severity,  and  regarded  as  a  brute,  to  be  beaten 
and  to  be  subdued.  Such,  however,  is  the  case,  and  upon  the  poor  body 
of  this  amiable  life  all  kinds  of  cruelties  are  practiced.  There  is  no  bar- 
barity more  common  than  to  blister  the  legs  of  the  quadruped.  Only 
of  late  years  has  the  blistering  application  been  somewhat  reduced  in 
strength ;  but  it  is  still  far  more  potent  than  is  necessary.  Our  fathers, 
however,  added  all  kinds  of  fiery  and  irritating  drugs  to  Spanish  fly,  and 
never  used  to  filter  the  extract;  whereby  particles  got  into  the  sores  and 
cracks  induced  by  the  blister,  and  it  was  common  for  large  pieces  of  skin 
to  be  removed  by  the  sloughing  process.    A  blemish  was  thus  created. 

Horses  have  perished  under  the  ^gony  attendant  upon  the  blistering 
of  all  four  feet.  It  is,  however,  still  a  recognized  custom  for  horse  doc- 
tors to  score  a  leg  or  sometimes  two  legs  with  the  red-hot  iron,  and  over 
the  lines  thus  created  on  a  living  frame  to  apply  a  liquid  blister.  To 
fully  appreciate  the  abhorrent  barbarity  or  the  inutility  of  such  a  cus- 
tom, the  reader  must  recognize  that  animals  suffer  awfully  from  the 
wounds  occasioned  by  fire,  and  understand  that  the  sores  are  newly 
Blade,  when  the  irritating  liquid  is  placed  upon  the  tender  parts.  A 
blister  necessitates  that  the  oil  which  contains  the  extract  of  the  fliy 
should  be  thoroughly  rubbed  in.  Therefore  the  horse,  when  blistered, 
after  having  been  fired,  has  to  endure  the  friction  of  a  rough  hand, 
applied  with  all  the  coarse  energy  of  an  uneducated  man,  made  upon 
a  member  smarting  under  the  agony  produced  by  the  agent  of  which 
the  creature  has  an  instincMve  dread. 


PHYSIC.  T9 

Blisters,  as  at  present  used,  are  far  too  powerful.  Were  they  diluted 
with  three  times  their  bulk  of  bland  oil,  or  of  solution  of  soap,  thej  would 
be  equally  effective  and  far  less  dangerous.  But,  unfortunately,  there  is 
a  prejudice  among  the  partially  educated,  to  which  class  nearly  all  veter- 
inary surgeons  belong,  iu  favor  of  potency  in  their  applications.  Such 
persons  seem  to  reckon  the  benefit  to  be  produced  according  to  the 
strength  of  the  agent  employed.  By  what  other  reason  is  it  possible 
to  explain  the  foolish  perversity  which  still  clings  to  the  abuse  of  the 
heated  iron  ?  By  what  other  motive  can  we  account  for  the  prejudice 
which  tempts  the  use  of  the  fearful  blistering  oil,  as  now  commonly 
exhibited  ? 

The  parts  of  the  horse  most  generally  blistered  are  the  legs,  and  the 
explanation  commonly  given  to  excuse  the  folly  is  a  desire  "to  freshen 
the  old  animal  on  the  pins,"  or  "to  brighten  up  the  manner  of  going." 
The  legs  are  parts  of  the  living  frame,  and  one  part  can  hardly  fail  with- 
out the  general  system  sympathizing.  The  author  was  once  as  tired  as 
the  horse  commonly  may  be  supposed  to  be ;  but,  on  that  occasion,  his 
feet  were  restored  long  before  his  body  recovered  from  its  exhaustion. 
Such  a  personal  testimony  seems  to  witness  that  fatigue  affects  the  sys- 
tem generally.  Indeed,  the  legs  may  be  the  means  of  progression ;  but 
it  is  the  life  which  puts  them  in  action,  and  it  is  the  nerves  which  trans- 
mit energy  to  the  muscles;  none  less  ignorant  than  the  generality  of 
veterinary  surgeons  and  the  lower  order  of  horse  proprietors,  would  have 
conceived  the  possibility  of  restoring  animation  to  a  debilitated  system 
by  torturing  the  parts  in  which  the  symptoms  of  decay  are  most  promi- 
nently testified. 

Moreover,  there  is  a  maxim,  first  made  known  by  John  Hunter,  and 
subsequently  recognized  by  the  profession  of  which  he  was  the  ornament 
This  maxim  declares  that  "two  great  inflammations  cannot  exist  in  the 
same  body  at  the  same  time."  Upon  the  truth  of  this  discovery,  the 
practice  of  counter-irritation  is  based.  Then  to  fire  and  to  blister  simul- 
taneously may  increase  the  torture  of  the  poor  existence  thus  harbar- 
ously  treated ;  but,  according  to  the  doctrine  largely  accepted  by  the 
medical  profession  of  this  country,  the  double  process  accomplishes 
nothing  surgical  or  curative,  since  the  blister  must  destroy  the  action  of 
the  fire ;  and  the  man  who  is  greedy  to  obtain  the  benefits  of  both  oper- 
ations, secures  the  advantages  of  neither  measure. 

To  blister,  however,  is  a  very  antique  custom ;  so,  also,  is  the  appli- 
cation of  fire,  which  was  first  performed  upon  the  human  body.  Old 
medicine  does  not  bear  a  very  good  character,  and  only  exemplifies  the 
much  which  suffering  can  endure,«or  the  little  which  cruelty  can  accom- 
plish.   So  far  as  horses  are  concerned,  Uttle  would  be  sacrificed  were  the 


9Q  PHYSIO.  ^ 

eutire  list  of  vesicatories  lost  to  the  knowledge  of  mankind.  The  blister 
is,  according  to  present  veterinary  practice,  employed  more  often  to 
gratify  the  passing  whim  of  some  wayward  proprietor  than  with  any 
medical  intention  or  with  the  remotest  regard  for  the  quadruped.  A 
man,  while  lounging  through  the  stable  of  an  evening,  a  prey  to  lassi- 
tude and  the  victim  of  idle  thoughts,  but  without  the  slightest  pretense 
to  medical  knowledge,  may  conceive  he  will  have  the  entire  stable  blis- 
tered "right  through,"  and  few  veterinary  surgeons  will  presume  to 
expostulate  with  so  wild  a  notion. 

The  compliance  of  the  professional  attendant  is,  however,  in  strict 
keeping  with  opinions  implied  by  the  expressions  commonly  employed 
by  "horsemen."  Thus,  it  is  very  general  to  hear  these  persons  speak 
of — "a  good  horse  with  battered  legs" — "a  beautiful  animal,  but  with 
legs  that  have  done  their  work" — "an  excellent  frame,  but  not  having  a 
leg  to  stand  upon,"  etc.  Such  phrases  are  sheer  nonsense  1  But  they 
serve  to  countenance  the  equine  superstition  which  regards  the  legs  as 
distinct  from  the  body.  The  stable-man  cannot  conceive  a  want  of  live- 
liness in  the  motions  to  be  one  of  the  indications  of  failing  health.  Yet 
this  symptom  pervades  all  nature.  It  is  exhibited  by  beasts,  by  birds, 
by  fishes,  and  by  insects ;  nay,  the  very  vegetables,  when  disease  attacks 
them,  no  longer  spread  their  branches  to  the  breeze,  but  droop  their  heads 
and  incline  their  bodies  earthward. 

To  propagate  such  opinions,  however,  must  destroy  much  of  the  power 
so  dearly  loved  by  the  vulgar  horse  owner,  and  abolish  much  of  the  pleas- 
ure such  a  person  experiences  when  surveying  his  long  rows  of  miserable 
dependents  1  These  men  are  always  corrupt  1  It  is  astonishing  how 
unfitted  human  frailty  is  to  possess  absolute  authority  in  any  shape ! 
The  men  who  live  and  think  in  stables  are  never  so  happy  as  when  ex- 
ercising their  despotic  power.  The  next  illustration  is  an  example  of 
this  fact.  An  omnibus  proprietor  has  entered  to  speak  with  a  veteri- 
nary surgeon,  who  is  witnessing  the  man's  orders  fiilfilled  on  the  fore- 
legs of  a  wretched  stud.  Let  the  reader  contemplate  this  engraving, 
and  he  will  soon  perceive  the  animals  stand  in  need  of  something  far 
less  costly  than  any  mixture  which  can  proceed  from  the  cheapest 
pharmacy. 

It  will  be  remarked  that  the  creatures  represented  are  separated 
by  "bales,"  or  long  poles,  suspended  by  chains  from  the  ceiling.  This 
kind  of  arrangement  permits  more  horses  to  be  packed  into  a  limited 
apartment,  and  is,  therefore,  adopted  whenever  the  expense  of  lodging 
becomes  a  primary  consideration.  It  will  also  have  occurred  to  the 
spectator  that  the  roof  is  depicted  as  ^sery  low,  and  the  gangway  or  free 
thoroughfare  behind  the  animals  is  exhibited  as  exceedingly  narrow. 


'i^HYSIC. 


81 


Now,  creatures  imprisoned  ia  such  a  building  are  actually  perishing 
of  starvation  I  The  food,  the  water,  and  the  medical  attendance  may- 
each  of  its  kind  be  unexceptionable ;  but  the  animals  housed  in  such  a 
locality  soon  droop  from  positive  inanition.  To  breathe,  is  the  primary 
necessity  of  existence.  There  is  no  living  thing  that  can  thrive  where 
air  is  excluded.  The  quadrupeds  represented  below  have  to  pass  twenty- 
two  out  of  every  twenty -four  hours  in  a  locality  barely  lofty  enough  for 
each  to  stand  upright  in.  Let  the  reader,  knowing  the  duration  of  cap- 
tivity, conjecture  how  long  it  will  be  ere  the  huge  lungs  of  a  horse  have 
inhaled  and  contaminated  the  limited  amount  of  atmosphere  which  the 
place  can  contain,  even  were  such  an  abode  contemplated  as  the  dwell- 
ing of  a  single  subject. 


BLISTERING   A   STABLEFUL   Of   OMNIBUS   HORSES. 


It  is  true,  such  sheds  are  seldom  air  tight.  Were  all  draughts  excluded, 
the  prisoners  would  speedily  be  released  from  their  captivity ;  but  the 
wind  holes,  though  large  enough  to  prolong  misery,  are  too  small  to 
render  such  places  the  abodes  of  health.  The  wretched  inmates  cannqt 
be  tortured  into  a  show  of  activity.  When  will  the  legislature,  in  its 
wisdom,  notice  these  hot-beds  of  contagion  ?  When  will  it  empower  the 
police  officer  to  enter  any  stable  and  authorize  him  to  destroy  the  animals 
therein,  hopelessly  diseased  and  purposely  concealed  ?  Who  can,  view- 
ing the  stables  where  the  hardest  worked  of  the  equine  race  are  stowed 
away,  wonder  that  glanders  is  rarely  absent  from  such  nurseries  for  con- 
tamination ? 

6 


82  PHTSia 

Horses  Have  thus  been  housed,  and  have  been  physicked,  fired,  and 
blistered,  for  ages.  The  folly  of  such  practices  is  continued  even  to  the 
present  hour.  However,  let  the  gentleman  who  keeps  his  stable  filled 
take  warning  from  the  errors  of  his  inferiors ;  and  when  the  groom  in- 
forms him  that  "Blossom"  is  getting  stale  upon  her  legs,  refuse  to  have 
the  creature  tortured.  A  blister  incapacitates  a  horse  for  six  weeks. 
The  cessation  of  toil  for  such  a  period  may  do  good ;  but  let  the  man 
who  pretends  to  judge  in  this  matter  grant  the  holiday,  which  the 
measures,  if  adopted,  would  occupy,  and  employ  the  time  in  looking 
jealously  around  his  premises  to  ascertain  wherefore  his  dumb  servant 
flags! 

Let  no  man  blister  a  horse's  legs.  There  is  no  motor  agent  situated 
in  or  near  to  those  parts.  The  shin,  foot,  and  pastern  are  almost  with- 
out muscles.  There  is  nothing,  therefore,  which  could  be  freshened  or 
rendered  more  brisk.  But  these  parts  are  susceptible  of  the  acutest 
agony.  They  are  largely  supplied  with  purely  sensitive  nerves.  Con- 
sequently, let  all  gentlemen  discharge  the  veterinary  surgeon  who  pro- 
poses to  blister  the  legs  of  their  horses.  He  does  so  merely  to  gain 
time :  the  professional  man  is  totally  unworthy  of  confidence  who  can 
play  with  his  employers'  ignorance  and  tamper  with  his  patients'  sensa- 
tions, merely  from  reasons  of  policy  or  the  chance  of  pecuniary  benefit 
to  himself  I  The  author  has  beheld  hundreds  of  blisters  applied  to  the 
legs,  but  he  cannot  remember  the  instance  in  which  such  applications 
were  productive  of  the  slightest  good. 

Blisters  are  seldom  required,  and  are  only  beneficial  as  counter-irri- 
tants. Equine  medicines  are  generally  too  coarse,  and  much  too  power- 
ful. Some  practitioners  mingle  euphorbium,  corrosive  sublimate,  aqua 
fortis,  etc.  with  the  blistering  agent,  to  increase  its  potency.  Therefore, 
never  procure  the  oil  of  cantharides  from  a  veterinarian.  Never  use 
blistering  ointment  of  any  description.  Stuffs  of  this  last  kind  are,  for 
the  most  part,  made  of  the  refuse  flies,  exhausted  by  having  been  used 
to  form  the  oil  of  cantharides.  Buy  the  oil  of  some  respectable  chemist. 
Add  to  this  four  times  its  bulk  of  olive  oil;  should  it  not  blister  after 
it  has  been  once  used,  it  may  be  rubbed  in  a  second  or  a  third  time. 
Counter-irritation  is  certain  to  be  thus  secured,  and  vesication  is  only 
a  sign  which  pleases  the  uneducated  eye  rather  than  benefits  the 
animal. 

Never  employ  any  oil  that  is  not  perfectly  clear.  It  should  be  filtered 
after  it  is  made,  and  the  slightest  opacity  is  proof  that  some  impurity 
is  present.  This  direction  is  imperative  ;  for,  though  the  ingredients 
which  compose  the  oil  are  not  expensive,  there  is  scarcely  an  article  in 
the  pharmacopoeia  more  liable  to  adulteration.    Let,  therefore,  the  liquid 


PHYSIC. 


8h 


A  BOTTLE   CONTAINING  OIL  OF  CANTHAKIBES. 


seem  as  transparent  as  that  which  is  represented  in  the  accompanying 
illustration. 

It  is  a  common  custom  with  most 
veterinarians  to  purge  the  horse  before 
they  blister  its  legs.  The  intention  is  to 
remove  any  lurking  irritability  out  of 
the  animal's  system ;  but  such  irritability 
will  most  probably  be  provoked  by  their 
coarse  and  potent  blistering  agents ;  there- 
fore, a  purgative,  by  increasing  the  de- 
bility, is  only  likely  to  render  the  quad- 
ruped more  sensitive  to  outward  impres- 
sions. A  nice  "freshener"  is  embodied, 
to  the  eye  of  reason,  in  a  drastic  pur- 
gative, followed  by  an  active  irritant 
applied  to  a  most  sensitive  part  of  the 
body  1 

Whenever  a  blister  is  adopted,  rather 
too  little  than  too  much  oil  should  be 
used.  Enough  to  permeate  the  hair  and 
reach  the   skin  is   imperative ;    but  the 

action  rather  depends  on  the  amount  of  friction  which  accompanies  the 
agent  than  on  the  quantity  of  the  vesicatory  that  may  be  employed. 
The  friction  should  be  regulated  by  the  condition  of  the  surface  on 
which  the  oil  has  to  act,  and  all  adjacent  tender  places,  as  the  points  of 
flexion  in  joints,  parts  where  the  skin  is  thin  or  is  thrown  into  crevices, 
should  be  previously  covered  with  a  layer  of  simple  cerate,  after  the 
method  exemplified  in  the  left-hand  illustration  on  the  next  page,  wherein 
the  back  of  the  pastern  is  exhibited  as  thus  protected. 

After  the  part  has  been  rubbed  for  ten  minutes  in  summer,  and  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  during  winter,  all  oil  may  be  wiped  off  the  hair.  Its 
presence  there  can  do  no  good ;  but  as  oil  becomes  more  liquid  with  the 
continuance  of  warmth,  the  heat  of  the  body  may  cause  the  blistering 
agent  to  run  on  to  parts  which  it  is  not  desirable  to  subject  to  its 
action. 

After  the  horse  has  been  blistered,  it  is  customary  to  tie  up  the  head 
and  put  around  the  animal's  neck  a  kind  of  rude  apparatus  denominated, 
but  wherefore  the  author  cannot  tell,  "a  cradle."  This  last  instrument 
is  designed  to  prevent  the  creature  from  gnawing  the  blistered  surface. 
No  such  act  will,  however,  be  indulged  where  the  agent  employed  is 
proportioned  to  the  sensitiveness  of  the  quadruped ;  but  it  is  the  agony 
produced  by  the  effect  of  undue  stimulation  which  generates  the  mad- 


84 


PHYSIC, 


ness  that  induces  the  wretched  creature  to  use  its  formidable  teeth  in 
tearing  its  own  flesh. 


THE  BACK  OF  THE  PASTERN  AND  THE  HEEL  PRO- 
TECTED BY  BEING  COATED  WITH  A  THICK  LATER 
OF   6IMPLE   CERATE. 


A   horse's   LEG   AFTER    THE  APPLICATION   OF  A 
BLISTER. 


About  three  days  after  the  application  of  the  blister,  the  surface  will 
have  become  dry  and  incrusted  with  a  solid  exudation.  It  is  well,  at 
this  period,  to  soften  the  part  with  some  emollient  liquid,  and  one  can 
hardly  be  found  better  suited  to  this  purpose  than  that  known  as  lead 
liniment.     It  is  made  by  mingling  together  one  parf  of  Goulard's  lotion 


A   BRUSH   FOR   APPLTING  LEAD  LINIMENT   TO   THE  LEO   OF  A   HORSE   'WHICH   HAS 
RECENTLY  BEEN   BLISTERED. 


and  two  parts  of  olive  oil,  whereby  is  formed  a  thick  creamy  compound. 
The  oil  soothes  the  harshness  of  the  exudation,  while  the  lead  serves  to 
mitigate  any  pain  which  may  reside  in  the  part.  This  mixture,  being 
well  shaken,  is  applied  to  the  surface  by  means  of  what  cooks  call  "a 
paste  brush." 

The  liniment  usually  causes  the  "crusts"  to  fall  off;  but  the  hair  gen- 
erally comes  off  at  the  same  time,  testifying  the  severe  irritation  to  which 
the  skin  has  been  subjected. 

The  most  pliant  medical  individual — the  pedantic  man  who  always 


PHYSIC.  85 

acknowledges' everything  emanating  from  tlie  schools  to  be  correct — 
would,  the  author  imagines,  be  puzzled  to  discover  any  necessary  con- 
nection between  the  processes  of  balling,  blistering,  firing,  and  bleed- 
ing ;  yet  somehow  the  four  operations  are  associated  in  veterinary  prac- 
tice. A  ball  reduces  the  bodily  activity ;  a  bleeding  lowers  the  action 
of  vitality ;  irritants  are  thought  to  stimulate  organs  to  which  they  are 
applied,  but  to  lessen  the  general  tonicity.  An  animal  subjected  to  the 
first  action  appears  fitted  to  dispense  with  the  second ;  while  the  last  two 
seem  somewhat  similar  to  the  first.  But  there  is  no  accounting  for  in- 
congruities when  men,  deserting  reason,  consent  to  adopt  routine  as  a 
guide  in  the  treatment  of  so  capricious  a  development  as  disease. 

Bleeding To  lose  blood  was  once  deemed  a  healthful  custom  by  the 

human  race.  Then,  horses  were  regularly  depleted  every  rise  and  fall. 
An  old  practitioner  can  remember  the  period  when,  on  a  Sunday  morn- 
ing, he  beheld  long  sheds  full  of  agricultural  quadrupeds,  waiting  to  be 
bled.  The  fleam  used  to  be  struck  into  the  first  horse ;  then  the  entire 
row  were,  in  succession,  similarly  treated.  The  operator  afterward  re- 
turned, and,  pinning  up  the  wound  which  had  been  made  in  the  neck  of 
the  first  animal,  again  moved  down  the  line,  pinning  as  he  went.  No 
account  was  taken  of  the  amount  lost  by  each  patient,  nor  was  any  pains 
thought  needful  to  control  the  current  that  flowed  upon  the  ground ;  but 
the  creatures  did  not  all  suffer  an  equal  depletion.  The  fleam  was  soon 
struck ;  to  pin  up,  however,  took  a  comparatively  long  time  for  its  per- 
formance. The  first  horse  of  the  group,  therefore,  lost  but  little  blood; 
while  the  last  of  the  line  bled  for  a  considerable  period  before  its  turn  to 
be  attended  to  arrived. 

The  foregoing  anecdote  will  show  how  nice  our  fathers  were  in  their 
operations;  but  it  is  sad  when  we  reflect  that  all  this  carnage  was  a 
sacrifice  made  to  a  mistaken  idea.  Human  medicine  has  abandoned  the 
antiquated  custom.  Veterinary  physic,  however,  is  not  quite  so  versa- 
tile; still  many  quiet  spots  in  the  country  may  be  found  where  old 
physic  is  in  force,  both  with  the  employers  and  the  practitioner.  Dogs, 
even  in  the  metropolis,  are  sometimes  bled ;  and  there  still  exist  persons 
who  esteem  the  use  of  the  lancet  upon  these  animals  to  be  a  laudatory 
accomplishment.  Cats  were,  formerly,  operated  upon;  and  the  author 
knows  an  aged  lady  whose  medical  practice  was  confined  to  depleting 
grimalkins.  There  exist,  even  at  the  present  enlightened  period,  few  of 
the  equine  species  which  do  not  bear  several  scars,  each  testifying  to  a 
separate  operation.  Raise  the  jugular  vein  in  the  neck  of  any  animal, 
by  simply  stopping  the  downward  current  that  flows  through  the  vessel ; 
it  is  ten  to  one  but  numerous  circular  prominences  will  bulge  forth,  to 
denote  the  medical  activity  which  has  been  lavished  on  the  quadruped. 


86 


PHTSIC. 


No  matUr  what  may  be  the  age,  the  condition,  or  the  occupation  of 
the  horse,  certain  practitioners  always  discover  that  the  mute  drudge 
requires  depletion ;  thus,  an  unscrupulous  man  may  at  most  times  earn 
a  ready  shilling  by  performing  an  easy  operation.  Every  kind  of  ani- 
mal is  liable  to  be  so  treated  or  so  abused;  and  there  are  very  fe\^ 
stables  throughout  this  kingdom  in  which  the  sight  of  the  fleam,  blooc 
stick,  and  can  do  not  create  the  groom's  delight.  The  strangest  fact  is 
that  most  rural  proprietors  love  to  see  the  purple  life  drained  from  tht 
necks  of  their  possessions ;  and  bitter  are  the  reproaches  usually  lavishec 
on  the  veterinarian  should  a  horse  perish  of  any  disease  without  tht 
fatal  termination  having  been  hastened  by  the  favorite  measure.  In- 
deed so  fully  are  several  country  practitioners  aware  of  this  probability 
that  it  is  customary  wifli  them,  when  alone,  to  strike  the  vein  and  to  pir 
up  the  orifice  immediately.  The  necessary  sign  can  then  be  adduced 
should  death  end  the  case ;  and  a  professional  reputation  be  thereby 
saved  from  the  assaults  of  aggravated  stupidity. 


BAISINQ  THE  JUQCLAS  VEIN. 


To  show  the  necessity  of  venesection  in  most  forms  of  disease,  the 
author  must  be  pardoned  if  he  intrudes  upon  the  reader  a  portion  of  his 
own  experience.  Some  years  ago  a  medical  man,  then  residing  in  West- 
bourne  Terrace,  kept  a  well-stocked  stable.  The  family  going  out  of 
town  during  the  autumn,  some  of  the  animals,  much  against  the  author's 
opinion,  were  allowed  a  few  weeks'  "run  at  grass." 

When  the  horses  were  taken  up,  none  were  found  to  have  been  bene- 


PHYSIC.  8t 

fited ;  but  one  was  discovered  to  be  much  worse  for  its  period  of  liberty. 
It  was  very  weak,  and  its  constitution  evidently  was  shaken,  for  nothmg 
seemed  capable  of  invigorating  it.  If  put  into  harness  and  driven  merely 
round  to  the  street  door,  the  body  was  sure  to  be  white  with  perspira- 
tion, and  the  poor  quadruped  exhibited  signs  of  exhaustion.  If  permit- 
ted to  remain  in  the  stable,  the  creature  would  generally  be  found  with 
the  head  depressed,  the  corn  untouched,  the  breathing  audible,  and  the 
body  leaning  for  support  against  the  trevise. 

The  animal  was  in  this  state  when  the  family  again  left  London  for  a 
few  weeks ;  the  horse  was  taken  with  them  by  railroad.  Before  they 
quitted  town,  the  author  found  occasion  to  speak  with  the  proprietor. 
The  writer  said  that,  during  the  sojourn  of  the  family  in  the  country,  it 
was  probable  the  urgency  of  the  symptoms  would  necessitate  the  calling 
in  of  a  local  veterinary  surgeon ;  therefore  the  proprietor  was  warned 
that  the  ailing  quadruped  was  on  no  account  to  be  bled ;  for  to  deplete 
a  life  in  so  exhausted  a  condition  was  positive  slaughter. 

As  the  author  had  conjectured,  so  events  literally  happened.  The 
symptoms  suddenly  became  alarming.  The  attendance  of  the  nearest 
veterinarian  was  requested.  To  him  the  warning  given  to  the  proprietor 
was  repeated.  The  gentleman  replied  that  the  author  had  not  seen  the 
animal  in  its  then  serious  state,  or  he  could  not  have  tendered  such 
advice.  Medical  etiquette  forbade  positive  injunctions.  The  operation 
was  performed,  and  the  family  returned  to  town  leaving  a  carcass  behind 
them! 

It  is  very  seldom  that  the  system  of  a  horse,  when  doing  full  work,  can 
endure  depletion.  The  labor  is  exhausting,  and  the  toil  is  sufficiently 
severe  to  employ  it  all  had  the  animal  twice  its  normal  energy.  Many 
observant  stable-men  are  of  opinion  that,  nurture  as  they  may,  the  prov- 
ender consumed  cannot  be  equal  to  the  work.  There  are,  however,  too 
many  persons  who  study  to  underfeed,  and  who  nevertheless  are  morally 
convincecT  that  every  quadruped  in  their  keeping  not  only  possesses  a 
sufficiency  of  vigor,  but  can  part  with  a  gallon  or  two  of  blood,  twice  in 
every  year,  with  positive  advantage. 

Here  are  two  opposite  convictions ;  and  the  cost  of  horse  flesh  to  each 
party,  could  we  inspect  the  private  accounts,  would  certainly  best  settle 
the  dispute.  But  as  men  mostly  object  to  laying  open  their  books  to 
public  investigation,  we  must,  therefore,  endeavor  to  decide  this  point  by 
drawing  inferences,  after  having  submitted  the  lives  of  most  quadrupeds 
to  review.  None,  except  the  wealthy,  keep  horses,  save  for  use.  The 
feelings  of  men  are  seldom  gratified  by  feeding  idle  animals.  Two  horses 
very  commonly  have  to  perform  extra  duty,  while  the  master  is  looking 
about  him  and  in  no  hast#  to  purchase  a  third  laborer.     Rarely  do  we 


88 


PHYSIC. 


find  three  animals  are  kept  where  the  owner  has  full  employment  only 
for  two  of  his  slaves. 

The  horse,  therefore,  is  generally  worked  to  the  limits  of  its  strength. 
That  there  may  be  no  doubt  upon  this  matter,  the  person  who  has  to 
judge  of  its  capabilities  is  he  who  has  an  interest  in  the  amount  of  an 
animal's  exertions.  The  fact  is,  however,  proved  by  the  wonder  excited 
when  a  quadruped  is  recorded  to  have  reached  the  natural  period  of  its 
existence.  The  great  majority  of  horses  in  this  country  perish  of  ex- 
haustion before  their  maturity  has  been  attained.  The  sad  reality,  that 
of  the  numbers  reared  in  England  the  great  majority  of  humanity's  hum- 
ble, obedient,  and  willing  slaves  are  goaded  to  early  graves,  before  all 
their  second  teeth  are  up,  and  before  the  consolidation  of  their  bones  fits 
them  to  endure  the  strain  of  fatigue,  too  fearfully  establishes  the  fate 
which  beauty  and  submission  receives  at  the  hands  of  avarice. 

Man  is  a  hard  task-master !  He  Was  so  when  the  pyramids  were 
raised ;  he  is  so  still  in  the  Southern  States  of  America.  There  is  some- 
thing wrong  in  the  creature  who  can  thus  abuse  all  that  serve  him.  Had 
the  horse  twenty  times  its  present  strength,  it  would  still  be  below  the 
point  of  human  requirement.  It  is  a  very  painful  occupation  to  look 
into  a  London  street,  and,  having  an  understanding  which  can  interpret 
equine  significances,  to  observe  the  lame,  the  deformed,  the  starved,  the 
overloaded,  and  the  weary  animals  staggering  along  the  thoroughfare, 
but  to  perceive .  none  without  the  goad,  to  enforce  exertion,  flourished 
by  its  side.  Yet  the  creatures  thus  used,  unconscious  of  a  holiday  and 
worked  through  sickness  or  through  suffering,  are  thought  by  some  per- 
sons to  possess  such  a  redundancy  of  health  that  they  can  support  or  be 
benefited  by  the  life's  blood  being  drained,  at  stated  periods,  out  of  their 
wretched  bodies ! 

Nevertheless  it  is  possible  a  timely  depletion  may,  upon  certain  occa- 
sions, save  life.  Neither  the  present 
reader  nor  the  writer  may  witness  so 
rare  an  occurrence ;  yet  because  of  the 
possibility,  every  horseman  should  be 
equal  to  such  an  emergency.  For  the 
performance  of  so  trivial  an  operation 
certain  tools  are  imperatively  necessary. 
The  first  among  these  is  a  blood  can  or 
a  tin  pail,  which  is  generally  divided, 
by  indented  lines,  into  eight  equal  sec- 
tions. The  receptacle  being  made  to 
contain  two  gallons,  each  compartment, 
when  filled,  indicates  a  quart  to  have  been  \fl»thdrawn.    Wretched  horses 


A  BLOOD  CAN,  WHICH  IS  MARKED  TO  INDI- 
CATE WHEN  A  (yjABT  OF  FLUID  HAS  BEEN 
EXTEACTED. 


PHYSIC. 


89 


have  been  drained  to  a  greater  extent  even  than  two  gallons ;  but  Bboald 
the  reader  possess  a  blood  can,  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  be  indeed  an 
extreme  case  in  which  he  would  behold  the  vessel  once  filled. 

One  or  two  quarts  should  be  the  limits  of  an  ordinary  venesection ; 
but  even  that  quantity  may  be  of  much  more  service,  when  aiding  the 
circulation,  than  when  withdrawn  and  permitted  to  coagulate  apart  from 
the  body.  Many  practitioners,  however,  deplete  without  either  excuse 
or  justification.  Having  opened  a  vessel,  they  will  allow  the  stream  to 
flow  until  the  poor  horse  staggers.  Some  are  proud  not  to  possess  a 
blood  can ;  but  they  hold  up  the  stable  pail  to  catch  the  vital  current, 
and  are  quite  content  that  the  most  ample  drain  of  the  system,  conducted 
under  their  supervision,  cannot  be  otherwise  than  restorative. 

The  next  instrument  requisite  is  a  fleam.  This  article  is  much  pref- 
erable to  the  lancet,  though  there  exists  a  species  of  foppery  among 
veterinary  surgeons  which  tempts  them  to  employ  human  implements. 


FLEAMS,   OF   THE   NEWEST   FORM,  OPEN   AND   SHUT. 


For  that  reason  they  flourish  a  lancet  as  the  more  scientific  indicator.  A 
lancet  is,  certainly,  necessary  to  puncture  the  eye  vein,  which  is  visible 
upon  the  cheek  of  the  horse ;  but  as  regards  a  vessel  which  is  as  large 
as  a  cart  rope,  for  such  is  the  dimensions  of  the  animal's  jugular,  this 
last  cannot  demand  the  exhibition  of  vast  scientific  attainment  to  pierce 
it,  or  admit  of  the  display  of  nice  manipulation  in  him  who  operates  on 
such  a  structure.  For  this  reason  the  old-fashioned  fleam  is  very  much 
to  be  preferred.  Assuredly  it  does  not  appear  so  pretty  as  the  lancet; 
but  it  always  cuts  with  certainty  and  leaves  a  limited  orifice ;  whereas 
the  more  genteel  blade  has  inflicted  awkward  gashes  upon  living  flesh 
when  the  creature  proved  restless  under  its  infliction. 

The  instrument  with  which  the  veterinarian  extracts  blood  has  been 
represente/i^having  the  hlf^de  bared  and  having  it  closed.     It  is  readily 


«0  PHYSIC. 

admitted  not  to  be  of  an  inviting  aspect;  but  it  is  not  in  reality  quite  so 
barbarous  as  it  appears  to  the  beholder.  The  point  which  projects  from 
one  side  of  the  blade  marks  the  extent  of  its  cutting  surface,  and  indicates 
the  size  of  that  puncture  which  the  fleam  can  leave  behind.  It  is  more 
safe  than  the  lancet,  which,  though  of  a  more  innocent  aspect,  has  in- 
flicted wounds  of  awful  dimensions.  For  the  last  reason,  the  employment 
of  the  lancet  by  veterinary  surgeons  is  not  to  be  commended. 

Above  the  cutting  point  of  the  fleam,  and  upon  the  opposite  side  of 
the  blade,  is  seen  what  is  intended  to  represent  a  bulging  piece  of  metal. 
That  indicates  the  place  which  the  operator  occasionally  strikes  with  the 
side  of  his  hand ;  its  intention  is  to  afford  a  blunt  surface  for  delivery  of  the 
blow.  It  is  advantageous  to  possess  a  fleam  of  the  above  form,  because, 
under  rare  circumstances,  the  possibility  for  which  it  provides  may  be 
encountered;  but  for  general  use  a  blood  stick  is  more  instantaneous, 
and  is  more  certain  in  its  result;  wherefore  it  is  to  be  preferred  to 
the  human  hand,  as  giving  the  smarter  impetus  to  the  blade. 


A   BLOOD   SUCK,   WHICH   IS  LOADED  AT   THE   LARGER  END. 

A  blood  stick  is  merely  a  hard  piece  of  wood,  six  or  eight  inches  long, 
and  turned  in  a  lathe  till  it  has  assumed  the  above  form.  The  larger  end 
is  then  hollowed ;  the  cavity  is  loaded  with  lead.  Such  a  tool,  though 
very  diminutive,  can  be  made  to  deal  a  heavy  blow,  and  it  is  quite  power- 
ful enough  to  send  the  point  of  the  fleam  through  the  skin  and  thin 
layer  of  muscular  fiber  which  externally  cover  the  jugular  vein. 

However,  before  any  attempt  is  made  to  bleed  the  *horse,  the  animal's 
eyes  should  be  bandaged.  This  should  invariably  be  done  before  the 
fleam  or  blood  stick  are  produced ;  as  some  quadrupeds  show  their  intel- 
ligence by  dreading  the  operation  which  most  veterinary  surgeons  regard 
with  complacency.  Many  persons  doubt  whether  beasts  are  gifted  with 
imagination ;  but  it  is  not  rare  to  encounter  a  steed  which  will  stagger 
at  the  sight  of  a  fleam,  and  when  the  blood  stick  and  can  are  produced, 
will  give  every  indication  of  approaching  syncope.  Consequently,  if  the 
reader  is  determined  to  have  his  horse  depleted,  let  the  eyes  be  disabled 
before  any  instrument  is  produced,  more  especially  before  the  stick  is 
attempted  to  be  employed.  Most  animals,  from  natural  timidity,  shrink 
if  they  can  discern  when  the  blow  is  about  to  be  delivered,  and  the 
pomt  of  the  fleam  is  thereby  frequently  displaced.  "fl^. 


PHYSIC.  91 

The  sight  should  first  be  obscured ;  then  the  vessel  raised ;  afterward 
the  fleam  arranged  upon  the  huge  pipe  thus  brought  into  view ;  when  a 
sudden  blow  being  dealt  with  the  blood  stick  will  cause  the  current  to 
spurt  forth.  Should  any  accident  prevent  the  first  attempt  from  being 
successful,  the  operator  should  not  strike  twice  in  the  same  place.  Re- 
peated blows  upon  the  same  spot  are  likely  to  bruise  the  part,  or  to 
cause  a  ragged  wound ;  neither  of  which  circumstances  are  favorable  to 
the  healing  process.  Leave  the  sHght  incision  to  nature,  for  it  very 
rarely  requires  any  treatment,  and  choosing  a  fresh  mark,  repeat  the 
process  with  better  success. 


Blood  being  obtained  by  the  operator,  the  groom  approaches  bearing 
the  blood  can.  This  the  man  presses  against  the  horse's  neck,  thereby 
impeding  the  downward  stream  within  the  vessel  and  causing  the  vital 
current  to  gush  forth. 

Whatever  may  be  the  urgency  of  the  business  which  may  demand  your 
presence  elsewhere,  never  quit  at  this  stage  of  the  proceeding.  How- 
ever experienced  or  meritorious  the  servant  may  be,  always  remain  until 


92 


PHYSIC. 


the  operation  is  concluded.  These  poor  men  invariably  possess  opinions 
of  their  own  that  are  stronger  because  of  the  ignorance  upon  which'such 
notions  repose.     The  groom  may  have  seen  a  gallon,  or  even  two  gal- 


PEESSINQ  THE  BLOOD  CAN  AGAINST  THE  NECK,  TO  ARREST  THE  DOWrWAED  CUREENT,  AND  TO 
CADSE  THE  BLOOD  TO  FLOW  PORTH. 


Ions  extracted,  when  in  his  last  situation.  Such  people  delight  in  strong 
measures ;  and  he  will  sneer  at  the  one  or  two  quarts  you  may  desire 
should  be  withdrawn.  Be  absent  only  for  a  brief  space,  and  you  may  be 
certain  your  directions  have  been  violated,  although  on  your  return  the 
most  solemn  of  faces  should  protest  to  the  contrary. 

"When  the  quantity  has  been  extracted,  remove  the 
pressure  below  the  orifice  and  the  outward  stream  will 
cease.  Then  proceed  to  pin  up.  Having  rendered  the 
point  of  a  pin  somewhat  angular,  by  cutting  off  the  tip, 
the  wire  will  pierce  the  integument  the  more  readily. 
Drive  it  through  each  side  of  the  wound,  and,  being  in 
this  situation,  twist,  after  the  fashion  of  a  figure  of  oo, 
some  tow  or  thread,  or  a  hair  pulled  from  the  horse's 
tail,  round  its  either  extremity.  Subsequently  remove 
so  much  of  the  pin  as  may  protrude,  and  the  orifice  will  be  closed  bv 
what  surgeons  denommate  a  twisted  suture. 


TWISTED  SUTDRE. 


PHYSIC. 


m 


When  performing  this,  a  few  precautions  are  imperative.  In  th* 
first  instance,  the  surfaces  should  not  be  brought  immediately  together. 
The  wound  should  be  left  open  until  the  lips  become  sticky,  as  when  in 
that  condition  they  unite  the  more  readily.  Next,  when  closing  the 
orifice,  all  hairs  should  be  removed,  which  is  sometimes  difficult  should 
the  integument  have  been  torn  asunder  with  a  blunt  fleam.  The  skin 
then  is  twisted  and  forced  from  its  integrity ;  but  if  a  sharp  or  proper 
instrument  has  been  used,  the  presence  of  hair  is  never  annoying ;  indeed 
it  seldom  requires  attention. 

The  sides  of  the  incision  should  be  adjusted  with  all  nicety,  because, 
subsequently  to  bleeding,  healing  by  the  first  intention,  or  by  the  speedi- 
est natural  process,  is  desirable.  Hairs,  when  present,  prevent  that  union 
from  being  perfected.  They  irritate  the  part  and  act  as  minute  setons, 
which  provoke  suppuration.  The  advent  of  the  last  action  is  always  to 
be  feared  after  a  vein  has  been  opened.  The  pus  gravitates  into  the 
vessel  and  the  blood  becomes  vitiated.  The  consequences  frequently 
are  fatal,  and  are  always  much  to  be  lamented. 


A    HORSE,  AFTER  BEING  BLED,  HAS   THE   HEAD   TIED   TO  THE  MANGEE  FOR  TWENTT-FOUR  HOURS. 


When  the  wound  has  been  properly  secured,  all  has  not  been  accom- 
plished. The  rack  and  manger  must  be  cleared.  Food  or  drink  must 
be  withheld  for  twenty-four  hours.     The  halter  must  be  fastened  up  to 


94 


PHYSIO. 


the  bars  of  the  hay  rack ;  for  the  animal  which  has  just  been  rendered 
faint  by  having  its  blood  extracted  must,  for  the  tedious  space  of  one 
entire  day  and  night,  neither  feed,  allay  its  thirst,  nor  repose  its  tottering 
limbs.  Some  certain  benefit,  substantiated  by  very  potent  proofs,  are 
necessary  to  justify  the  measure  which  must  be  followed  by  such  depri- 
vation; for  if  lack  of  nutriment  and  want  of  rest  can  generate  debility, 
what  must  be  the  effect  of  enforced  abstinence,  when  ensuing  upon  a 
sickening  depletion  ? 


CHAPTER  III. 

SHOEING — ITS   ORIGIN,  ITS   USES,  AND   ITS  VAB.IETIE8. 

Shoeing  a  horse  is  understood  to  signify  fastening  a  piece  of  iron  to 
the  horn  which  envelops  tlie  foot  of  the  animal.  Such  an  operation,  at 
first  glance,  appears  to  be  so  simple  an  affair  as  to  admit  of  few  remarks ; 
but  there  is  no  subject  associated  with  veterinary  science  on  which  more 
research  has  been  expended,  about  which  more  bitter  discussion  has  been 
indulged,  or  with  regard  to  which  proprietors  and  practitioners  are  more 
at  variance.  Certainly  no  matter  can  possibly  be  more  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  suflferings  and  the  comforts  of  the  equine  race. 


EARLY  ARABIAN   SHOE. 


ARABUIf    SHOE   OF   A   MODERN  DATE. 


The  custom  of  fixing  iron  to  the  hoof  of  the  quadruped  would  seem, 
at  the  present  moment,  to  be  all  but  universal.  This  habit  was  probably 
derived  from  the  East.  In  portions  of  the  Desert  of  Arabia  a  primitive 
looking  shoe  is  still  employed,  which,  like  most  things  in  that  region, 
has  possibly  remained  unaltered  during  the  passage  of  centuries.  Such 
articles  retain  the  impress  of  a  by-gone  era,  being  merely  pieces  of  sheet- 
iron  stamped,  not  forged,  according  to  a  particular  pattern.  The  reader 
may  be  puzzled  to  form  an  accurate  notion  of  such  things;  therefore 
illustrations,  representing  present  and  ancient  shoes,  are  appended.  Both 
partake  of  the  same  general  characteristics,  but,  among  a  people  so  widely 
scattered  as  "the  children  of  the  Desert,"  doubtless  numerous  variations, 
as  regards  particulars,  might  be  selected. 

(95) 


96 


SHOEING. 


The  preceding  look  like  things  produced  during  the  childhood  of 
civilization ;  but  to  assure  the  reader  that  at  one  period  horse  shoes 
resembling  the  foregoing  were  almost  universal,  below  is  subjoined 
sketches  of  those  adopted,  even  at  a  recent  date,  by  the  Moorish,  the 
Persian,  and  the  Portuguese  nations.     These  people  are  widely  distrib- 


A  MOORISH,  A   PEESIAN,  AND  A   PORTUGUESE   SHOE.      COPIED   FROM  GOODWIN'S   SYSTEM    OF   SHOEING   HOBSES. 

uted ;  but  they  all  are  characterized  by  the  tenacity  with  which  each  has 
clung  to  the  habits  of  its  ancestors.  The  sh§ipe  pervading  the  examples 
brought  forward  is  too  eccentric,  the  generic  likeness  is  too  remarkable, 
and  the  peculiarities  of  feature  impressed  on  each  is  too  conspicuous, 
to  permit  of  their  united  evidence  being  pushed  on  one  side  with  any 
commonplace  reference  to  an  accidental  resemblance. 

Succeeding  the  former  engravings  is  appended  an  authentic  skefch  of 
the  old  English  horse  shoe  which  was  in  common  use  at  the  commencement 

of  the  last  century.  When  compared 
with  the  plate  of  the  Arab,  which  doubt- 
less was  the  original,  it  assuredly  exhib- 
its signs  of  intention.  The  calkin,  in- 
tended to  prevent  slipping,  we  here  see, 
as  likewise  in  the  foregoing  examples, 
is  by  no  means  a  modern  invention. 
The  position  of  the  nail  holes  has  been 
materially  altered:  they  have  been 
moved  from  the  center,  and  have  been 
made  to  range  around  the  outer  margin 
and  to  pierce  the  solid  horn  of  the  toe, 
which  previously  was  scrupulously 
spared.  The  fastenings,  likewise,  have 
increased  in  number,  having  grown  from  eight  to  fourteen.  The  central 
opening  has  been  enlarged;  but  the  thickness  of  the  iron  and  the  gen- 
eral figure,  however,  demonstrate  the  source  whence  the  original  was 
derived. 

Thin  plates  of  iron  were  once  nailed  as  shoes  to  the  hoofs  throughout 


OLD  ENGLISH   SHOE.      COPIED   FROM   CLARK'S 
WORK   ON   SHOEING. 


SHOEING.  97 

Great  Britain.  The  breadth  was  not,  perhaps,  considered  a  decided  dis- 
advantage, when  roads  were  few  and  much  marshy  soil  had  to  be  crossed 
in  a  day's  journey.  But  if  this  peculiar  form  enabled  a  steed  to  walk 
more  securely  on  a  soft  surface,  the  suction,  inseparable  from  such  land, 
must  also  have  exposed  the  animal  to  the  frequent  loss  of  the  appendage. 
When  regarding  these  unavoidable  results,  we  can  perceive  the  reasons 
which  have  dictated  all  the  subsequent  alterations.  The  central  opening 
had  been  enlarged,  in  the  expectation  of  thereby  counteracting  the  suck- 
ing effects  attending  the  movements  over  a  marshy  country ;  while  the 
nails  had  been  increased  in  number,  in  the  expectation  of  thus  gaining 
additional  security.  The  fastenings  had  likewise  been  ranged  round  the 
rim,  so  that  these  might  be  driven  directly  through  the  hardest  part  of, 
and  have  longer  hold  upon,  the  most  resistant  portion  of  the  horn. 

Such  plates  were  at  one  time,  no  doubt,  in  general  use  throughout 
Great  Britain ;  and  illustrating  whence  they  were  derived,  there  may  be 
adduced  a  well-known  fact.  The  race-horse  is  of  almost  pure  Eastern 
blood.  The  trainer's  stable  is  a  very  conservative  locality,  into  which 
changes  slowly  enter,  and  where  names  are  retained  long  after  their  ap- 
plicability has  ceased.  A  thorough-bred  is  spoken  of  to  this  day  as 
running  in  "plates;"  although  the  contest  is  decided  in  shoes  resembling 
those  worn  by  other  animals,  only  of  lighter  make  and  of  the  highest 
possible  finish. 

The  aspect  of  the  old  English  shoe  evidently  suggests  a  resort  to  the 
hammer;  it  also  indicates  that  the  introduction  of  regular  roads  had 
began  to  compel  the  employment  of  a  closer  and  harder  species  of  metal 
than  heretofore  had  been  esteemed  necessary.  No  modern  Nimrod  dare, 
however,  essay  to  career  across  the  best-drained  portion  of  country  on  a 
horse  shod  with  such  a  shoe  as  that  last  represented.  Before  a  second 
field  were  entered  he  would  anticipate  a  steed  with  bare  feet.  No  cab- 
man, however  reckless,  would  take  a  quadruped  on  to  the  rank  shod  in 
.such  a  fashion.  Were  an  article  of  this  form  brought  out  now,  no  one 
who  knew  anything  of  such  matters  would  patronize  the  novelty. 
Nevertheless,  though  it  be  deficient  in  all  present  requirements,  it  dis- 
plays certain  features,  which  have  been  preserved  by  the  smith  and 
handed  down  from  father  to  son  until  the  supposed  improvements  have 
reached  the  existing  generation. 

The  arrangement  of  the  nails  near  to  the  outer  edge,  and  the  fixing  of 
them  into  the  hard  outer  wall  of  the  crust,  are  methods  still  followed, 
though  experience  has  demonstrated  that  such  numerous  bodies,  driven 
almost  perpendicularly  into  a  thin  and  a  brittle  substance,  were  better 
calculated  to  break  the  hoof  than  likely  to  hold  on  that  which  it  was 
their  single  office  to  retain.     The  modern  smith,  moreover,  does  not 

t 


58 


SHOEING. 


THE  PRESENT  METHOD  OP  FASTENING 
THE  ENGLISH  HORSE  SHOE  ON  TO  THE 
horse's   FOOT. 


generally  puncture  the  toe  of  the  foot;    but  the  situations  of  the  nail 
holes  and  the  (^rection  of  the  nails  within  such  a  part  must  have  been 
originally  regarded  as  a  vast  improvement  upon  the  prevailing  customs. 
That  which  was  formerly  an  innovation  is,  however,  now  the  custom. 
No  other  mode  of  driving  the  nails  is  at 
present  in  general  practice ;  though  the  mod- 
em veterinary  surgeon   recognizes   all  the 
evils  which  attend  the  habit,  yet  these  evils 
he  contentedly  classes  as  diseases,  instead  of 
seeing  in  them  the  natural  consequences  of  a 
faulty  system. 

In  the  sandy  Desert  of  Arabia,  where  a 
flat  and  perfectly  dry  country  rendered  suc- 
tion impossible,  any  degree  of  tension,  how- 
ever feeble,  might  serve  to  keep  the  horse's 
shoe  in  its  situation.  On  such  a  soil,  eight  lateral  fastenings — each  no 
stronger  than  a  stout  wire — might  afford  all  needful  security.  The  size 
of  the  holes  assures  us  of  ttie  bulk  of  the  nail  heads,  the  projection  of 
which,  probably,  served  to  give  security  to  the  tread,  as  well  as  to  retain 
the  metal ;  being  inserted  at  one  end  and  driven  with  the  hammer  to  the 
other  extremity  of  the  opening,  they  might  be  an  ample  provision  for 
such  a  purpose,  when  the  desert  permitted  no  vast  amount  of  wear,  and 
the  nature  of  the  animal  assured  lightness  of  motion. 

The  English  reader  may  feel  disposed  to  sneer  at  the  Asiatic  manner 

of  fastening  the  shoe  upon  the  horse's 
hoof;  but  he  will  do  well  to  inquire, 
"  whether  the  modern  method  of  at- 
taining the  same  object  is  altogether 
free  from  objection?"  To  enable 
him  to  do  this,  it  is  necessary  that 
the  composition  of  the  outer  wall  of 
the  equine  hoof  should  be  explained. 
The  wall  of  the  foot  is  so  much 
horn  as  can  be  seen  when  the  hoof 
rests  upon  the  ground,  and  when  it  is 
viewed  either  immediately  from  the 
front  or  directly  from  the  sides.  This 
wall  is  supplied  from  two  sources. 
The  coronet,  or  the  prominence  to 
be  seen  immediately  above  the  hoof, 
secretes  the  outer  layer  of  horn,  which  is  the  darkest,  is  very  much  the 
hardest,  and  is  the  most  brittle  of  all  the  constituents  of  the  hoof     The 


DIAGRAM,    ILLUSTRATIVE    OF    THE   DIFFERENT    KIIfDS 
OF   HORN   COMPOSINQ   THE   HORSE'S   HOOP. 

a  a.  The  wall.  The  outer  dark  portion  is  called 
the  cruet  of  the  wall,  and  the  light-colored,  soft, 
inner  horn  is  thrown  into  the  laminas,  or  thin 
leaves,  whereby  it  gains  extent  of  attachment 
to  its  secreting  membrane. 

6.  The  light-colored  and  yielding  horn  of  the  sole. 

C.  The  tinted  but  elastic  horn  of  the  frog. 


SHOEING. 


99 


laminas,  or  the  highly-sensitive  corering  of  the  internal  foot,  secrete  the 
inward  layer  of  horn,  which  is  soft,  tough,  and  devoid  of  color. 

These  two  opposite  and  distinct  secretions  are,  by  nature,  joined  to- 
gether, forming  one  body.  Now,  the  intimate  union  of  opposite  proper- 
ties endues  the  substance,  thus  compounded,  with  the  characteristics  of 
both.  The  hard,  outward  horn  was  needed  to  protect  the  foot  against 
those  stones  and  rocks  over  which  the  animal  was  intended  to  journey. 
The  internal,  white  horn,  being  fastened  upon  this  substance,  acted  as  a 
corrective  to  its  harsh  nature,  preventing  it  from  breaking,  from  splitting, 
and  from  chipping,  which  it  else  must  have  done  under  the  weight  it  was 
destined  to  sustain,  and  when  fulfilling  the  purposes  to  which  the  horse's 
foot  was  designed  to  be  subjected. 

Pathology  has  indirectly  recognized  the  intention  of  this  junction,  by 
acknowledging  that  condition  to  be  a  state  of  disease,  wherein  the  two 


FALSE  QUARTER,  OR  A   DEFIOIENCT   OF 
IH£  ODI£B  WALI.. 


ra  ONLY  POSSIBLE  RELIEF  FOR 
FALSE  QUARTER. 


BBCTION  OF  A  HOBSE'S  FOOT  AFFECTED  WITH  SEEDT  TOE. 


A  FOOT  WITH  SANDCRACK. 


kinds  of  horn  are  separated.  Such  a  division  is  known  as  a  seedy  toe 
and  as  false  quarter ;  and  the  foot  is  recognized  as  weakened  when  such 
a  want  of  union  is  discovered.  The  outer,  dark-colored  horn  becomes 
more  brittle ;  the  white,  internal  horn  grows  more  soft  for  the  want  of 
that  junction  by  means  of  which  each  communicated  its  attributes  to  the 
other.  So  also  when  the  two  descriptions  of  horn,  although  united, 
cease  to  influence  one  another,  pathology  acknowledges  this  condition  as 
a  morbid  alteration,  known  as  a  changed  state  of  hoof  Thus,  when  a 
sandcrack  is  visible,  or  the  wall  divides  from  the  ground  surface  to  the 


100 


SHOEING. 


coronet^  tke  foot's  incasement  is  recognized  as  unhealthy;   but  in  the 
forge,  the  application  of  such  facts  is,  by  most  smiths,  utterly  ignored. 

The  untutored  Arab,  however,  takes  advantage  of  the  united  proper- 
ties of  the  horn.  In  warm  countries  the  horse's  hoof  grows  strong  and 
thick.  The  uninstructed  Asiatic  allows  the  wall  to  descend  half  an  inch 
below  the  sole,  and  right  through  the  entire  of  this  portion  of  projecting 
hoof  he  drives  the  nails  which  secure  the  shoe.  Proceeding  thus,  he 
does  not  injure  the  foot  by  the  insertion  of  foreign  bodies  through  its 
more  brittle  substance,  while  he  secures  the  united  resistance  and  tough 
qualities  of  the  complex  covering  of  the  foot. 


THE  MODE  OP   FASTENINQ   THE   ARABIAN 
SHOE  TO  THE  HOOF  OF  THE  HORSE. 


FRACTURED  CONDITION  OF  THE  HORN,  CONSE- 
QUENT UPON  DRIVING  NAILS  THROUGH  THE 
BRITTLE  OUTER  CRUST  OF  THE  WALL. 


The  English  smith,  on  the  contrary,  by  ranging  the  holes  for  the  fas- 
tenings round  the  edge  of  the  shoe,  drives  the  nails  only  into  the  harder 
kind  of  horn,  and  transfixes  the  crust  for  a  considerable  distance.  The 
English  shoeing  nail  is  meant  to  pierce  only  the  black  or  outward  sub- 
stance of  the  wall.  This  may,  seemingly,  afford  the  better  hold ;  but  it 
also  offers  the  more  dangerous  dependence.  There  is,  likewise,  the  peril 
to  be  braved  of  pricking  the  sensitive  foot,  should  the  nail  turn  a  little 
to  one  side — an  accident  which  not  unfrequently  happens.  There  is, 
moreover,  another  danger,  namely,  that  which  the  forge  calls  driving  a 
nail  "too  fine;"  that  is,  forcing  it  near  the  white  horn  rather  than  send- 
ing it  directly  through  the  center  of  the  narrow  dark  crust.  There  re- 
mains to  be  enumerated  a  third  peril.  Horses,  with  thin  walls,  present 
difficulties  to  the  shoeing  smith.  He  is  afraid  of  either  pricking  the  foot 
or  driving  the  nail  "too  fine;"  should  the  last  accident  ensue,  the  nail 
will,  upon  the  animal  being  worked,  bulge  inward,  will  provoke  acute 
lameness,  often  causing  pus  to  be  generated.  To  avoid  these  evils,  he 
points  his  nails  outward ;  and,  by  so  doing,  not  vmseldom  induces  the 
harsh  outer  crust  to  crack,  to  split  up,  or  to  chip  off.    To  such  an  extent 


SHOEING. 


101 


does  this  sometimes  happen,  that  the  smith  is  occasionally  puzzled  to 
find  the  place  where  a  nail  will  hold. 

It  is  a  common  thing  to  hear  veterinary  surgeons,  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  attribute  to  the  operation  of  shoeing  all 
the  evils  by  which  the  hoof  is  affected.  They  generally  assert  that  a 
colt  invariably  has  an  open,  healthy  foot,  until  it  is  shod ;  but,  from  the 
day  upon  which  the  animal  enters  the  forge,  the  horn  begins  to  be 
irregularly  secreted,  and  the  hoof  to  grow, misshapen;  while  horsemen 
have  a  well-known  saying,  that  "  one  horse  could  wear  out  four  pair  of 
feet." 

Every  rider  knows  how  vexatious  it  is  for  a  horse  to  fling  a  shoe. 
Every  horseman  appreciates  the  consequence  of  walking  his  steed,  even 
one  mile,  along  the  common  road,  to  gain  the  nearest  forge,  where  the 
loss  may  be  made  good.  Such  an  accident  were  an  impossibility,  if  the 
nails  were  firm.  There  is  always  danger,  as  they  are  at  present  fixed, 
of  these  fastenings  breaking  away  from  the  substance  of  the  hoof;  yet 
no  one  has  hitherto  ventured  to  question  the  existing  method  of  shoeing 
prevalent  throughout  Europe. 

But  the  worst  evil  which  results  from  a  shoe  becoming  partially  re- 
leased, is  neither  the  inconvenience  it 
occasions  the  rider,  nor  fracture,  often 
produced,  on  the  hoof  of  the  animal. 
Some  portion  of  the  horn  first  yields. 
This  mishap  throws  greater  stress  upon 
the  remaining  fastenings.  The  shoe  be- 
comes loose.  The  majority  of  the  nails 
give  way,  but  one  may  continue  firm. 
This  is  the  greatest  peril.  The  shoe  is 
fastened  as  by  a  pivot,  and  with  every 
step  swings  from  side  to  side.  The  re- 
leased nails  stick  upward — ^the' earth  or 
roadway,  as  well  as  the  clinches,  pre- 
venting these  from  leaving  their  places. 
When  the  foot  is  in  the  air,  the  shoe 
hangs  pendulous.  When  the  foot  is 
placed  upon  the  ground,  it  may  be  impaled  upon  the  nails  that  protrude 
upward.  Many  steps  are  seldom  taken  without  such  a  result.  The 
shoe  gets  under  the  foot.  The  blunt  and  jagged  points  are,  by  the  huge 
freight  of  the  quadruped,  forced  through  the  soft  sole  or  frog  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hoof;  a  dangerous  wound  is  inflicted,  the  uneven  metal  being 
often  driven  for  some  distance  into  the  body  of  the  coffin-bone. 

Against  the  Arabian  method  of  driving  the  nails,  it  may  be  advanced 


THB  SHOE  PABTIALLT  BREAKS  FROM  THE 
INSECURE  FASTENINGS,  AND  ONE  OF 
THE  NAILS,  STICKING  UP,  PIERCES  THE 
SOLE  OF  THE  FOOT. 


102 


SHOEING. 


that  if  *,he  equine  hoof  is  permitted  to  grow,  the  elongation  of  the  horn 
at  the  toe  and  its  non-removal  by  the  knife  would  occasion  this  portion 
of  the  foot  to  protrude,  and  ultimately  curl  upward  like  a  Turkish  slip- 
per— siieh  being  the  result  of  long-continued  neglect,  as  is  exemplified 
in  the  feet  of  too  many  donkeys. 


THE  NEQUiCIED  AND  LONG  UNSHOD  HOOF  OP  AN  ASS. 


ENGLISH  MODE  OF  PARING  THE  HORSE'S 
HOOF. 


It  is  not  proposed  to  subject  the  horse's  foot  to  anything  like  the 
usage  to  which  the  hoof  of  the  ass  is  habitually  exposed.  All  the  writer 
contemplates  is  moderating  the  smith's  employment  of  the  drawing- 
knife  and  of  the  rasp,  enforcing  some  caution  in  the  application  of  the 
red-hot  iron,  when  burning  a  seat  for  the  shoe.  Why  need  the  wall  be 
always  cut  away  till  it  is  level  with  the  horny  sole  ?  Why  bring  this 
last  portion  of  the  pedal  covering,  which  is  naturally  soft  and  yielding, 
on  a  line  with  that  part  of  the  crust  which  is  imbued  with  a  power  of 
resistance  ?  Nay,  the  harder  wall  is  protected  by  the  shoe  on  which  it 
rests;  while  the  softer  sole  is  brought  near  to  the  ground,  being  left 
exposed  to  an  injury,  which  the  lesion  known  as  bruise  of  the  sole  proves 
not  unfrequently  to  happen. 

The  sole,  being  exposed  thus  close  to  the  earth,  is  the  fi-uitful  source 
of  several  "accidents."  The  soft  horn  of  this  region  being  brought  so 
low,  is  rendered  constantly  wet.  The  consequence  is  a  harshness  of 
texture,  perfectly  opposed  to  the  evident  intent  of  nature.  This  harsh- 
ness is  one  of  the  most  common  sources  of  corns.  The  edge  of  the  sole 
rests  upon  the  web  of  the  shoe — the  descent  of  the  coffin-bone,  being 
unable  to  play  upon  a  yielding  sole,  squeezes  the  flesh  between  the  in- 
ferior surface  of  the  bone  and  the  upper  surface  of  the  shoe.  This  is 
acknowledged  as  the  principal  source  of  corns.  Stones  and  other  rub- 
bish often  become  impacted  between  the  horny  sole  and  the  shoe.  In 
this  situation,  the  foreign  substances  are  retained  so  firmly  and  provoke 
such  acute  lameness  that  it  is  common  for  all  stable-men  to  keep  by 
them,  as  well  as  it  is  general  for  most  horsemen  to  carry,  a  curved  tool 


SHOEING.  103 

denominated  "a  picker."  Sucli  annoyances,  with  many  others,  might 
be  easily  avoided,  could  the  English  smith  only  be  prevailed  upon  not 
to  pare  the  sole  so  thin  that  blood  bedews  its  surface,  and  then  to  make 
the  level  of  the  diminished  part  the  point  whereto  the  crust  is  to  be 
lowered. 

Another  probable  consequence,  attending  the  customary  cutting  away 
of  the  horse's  sole,  has  not  been  sufficiently  considered. 

The  shape  of  this  part,  its  yielding  character,  and  its  position  imme- 
diately under  the  coffin-bone,  all  should  be  accepted  as  proofs  that  it  is 
of  service  in  supporting  the  weight  of  the  body.  It  proves  nothing  to 
assert  that  if  the  sole  is  removed,  the  pedal  bone  will  not  fall  down. 
The  burden  may  repose  upon  the  numerous  laminae  and  upon  the  bulg- 
ing rim  of  the  coronet,  as  well  as  drag  upon  the  lateral  cartilages.  Here 
is  sufficient  material  to  uphold  even  a  greater  load ;  but  can  such  a  force 
be  arbitrarily  imposed  by  human  authority  without  provoking  nature's 
resentment  ?  The  parts  here  named  are  the  very  regions  which  are  the 
common  seats  of  foot  disease.  Ossified  cartilages — irregular  secretion 
of  coronary  horn  and  laminitis,  in  the  acute  or  in  the  chronic  form — are 
very  common  to  stables ;  so  also  is  navicular  disease,  which  the  trim- 
ming of  the  frog  is  also  likely  to  induce.  Horse  proprietors,  therefore, 
would  do  well  to  reflect  upon  the  above  possibility,  when  their  property 
is  again  submitted  to  the  unchecked  abuses  of  the  forge. 

Humaiiity  is  not  pleaded  in  this  case.  Human  interest  alone  is  urged 
in  favor  of  the  plan  proposed.  Every  horse  owner  knows  how  common 
it  is  for  the  animal  to  return  tender-footed  from  the  forge.  Every  person 
can  appreciate  the  unpleasant  sensation  experienced  when  a  nail  has 
been  pared  to  the  quick. 

Immediate  lameness,  or  violent  exhibition  of  acute  disease,  is  required 
to  convince  some  people  that  dumb  animals  feel  anything ;  but  a  pecuU- 
arity  displayed  in  the  manner  of  placing  the  foot  on  the  earth  is,  to  the 
author's  mind,  sufficient  proof  of  some  painful  sensation.  In  two  or 
three  days,  the  newly-exposed  horn  may  resume  its  protective  function, 
and  the  mode  of  progressing,  by  such  a  time,  is  generally  restored  to  its 
accustomed  soundness.  But  such  is  not  invariably  the  case,  and,  when 
it  does  happen,  the  seeds  of  future  disaster  may,  nevertheless,  have  been 
sown.  Indeed,  so  conscious  are  dealers  of  the  injury  done  to  the  horse's 
foot  by  the  rasp  and  the  drawing-knife,  that,  as  a  rule,  they  avoid  having 
their  new  stock  reshod  while  these  animals  remain  in  their  possession. 

To  rectify  the  foregoing  evils,  the  author  would  humbly  propose  that 
half  an  inch  of  crust  should  be  allowed  to  protrude  below  a  sole  of  mod- 
erate thickness.  That  all  idea  of  breadth  of  shoe  affording  the  slightest 
protection  be  at  once  abolished ;  because  the  broad  web  has  been  proved, 


104 


SHOEING. 


by  the  general  employment  of  tlie  picker,  rather  to  afford  harbor  to  hurt- 
ful particles  than  to  protect  the  sole  from  injury.  That  the  shoe  be  made 
only  just  wide  enough  to  afford  bearing  to  the  wall  of  the  hoof,  and  to 
allow  sufficient  room  for  the  nail  holes  to  pierce  the  substance  of  the 
iron.  The  crust  was  designed  to  sustain  the  weight  of  the  animal's 
body,  and  the  most  ignorant  smith  would  not  think  of  permitting  the 
entire  burden  to  bear  upon  the  sole.  A  space  large  enough  to  give 
room  for  the  nails  and  to  provide  an  ample  rest  for  the  wall  of  the  hoof 
is  all  that  can  be  of  use ;  and,  being  so,  all  additional  width  only  renders 
the  shoe  of  an  unnecessary  weight. 

The  use  of  the  sole  is  well  known  to  be  distinct  from  directly  support- 
ing any  portion  of  the  body ;  but  it  may  be  of  all  service  in  upholding 
occasional  weight.  That  other  parts  receive  the  primary  burden,  is 
illustrated  in  the  forge  every  day — it  being  an  ordinary  custom  with 
the  smith  to  pare  the  sole  of  the  foot  till  it  yields  readily  to  pressure 
from  the  man's  thumb,  or  until  blood  oozes  through  every  pore  of  the 
structure.  A  further  proof  of  this  is  the  custom  of  removing  a  portion 
of  sole  when  the  animal  chances  to  be  bled  from  the  foot ;  also,  by  the 
veterinary  surgeon,  without  hesitation  or  fear  of  consequence,  taking 
away  large  pieces  of  the  horn  whenever  the  sole  happens  to  be  bruised 
and  under-run.  The  function  of  the  sole  is  to  endue  the  tread  with 
spring  and  elasticity ;  that  it  may  perform  its  proper  office,  the  removal 
of  it  from  all  possibility  of  hinderance  to  its  freedom  of  motion  becomes 
a  necessity.  This  requirement  is  best  complied  with  by  allowing  the 
part  to  remain  so  high  as  anticipates  all  possibility  of  its  coming  in 
contact  with  either  the  web  of  the  shoe  or  the  ground. 

Nature  makes  nothing  in  vain ;  or,  in  other  words,  every  part  which 
she  creates  has  its  destined  uses.  To  recog- 
nize such  a  maxim,  and  then  to  employ  a 
smith  to  destroy  the  horny  sole  which  nature 
provided,  is  to  acknowledge  wisdom,  but  to 
follow  ignorance.  At  all  events,  putting 
every  appeal  to  higher  principles  of  action  on 
one  side,  let  mere  cunning  or  let  worldly 
prudence  decide  the  point.  The  present 
method  has  been  tried,  and  has  lamentably 
failed;  consequently  it  is  proved  an  annoy- 
ance which  countenances  any  feasible  change. 
But  those  who  are  prejudiced  in  favor  of 
the  usual  proceedings  may  exclaim  against 
the  annihilation  of  the  web,  and  talk  about 
the  need  of  protecting  the  sole.     The  old  Enghsh  shoe  (in  which  tho 


HXUSTEATING  HOW  LARGE  AND  SMALL 
STONES  BECOME  IMPACTED  BETWEEN 
THE  SOLE  AND  THE  WEB  OP  THE  SHOE. 


SHOEING.  105 

vreb  was  so  broad  the  horse's  foot  rested  on  a  flat  metallic  surface)  dia 
not  defend  the  sole,  else  the  web  would  not  have  been  sacrificed.  But 
what  kind  of  protection  does  the  present  form  actually  afford  ?  Why, 
its  only  use  really  appears  to  be  that  of  affording  a  place  of  lodgment 
for  gravel  and  for  pebbles,  or  of  a  medium  for  the  generation  of  corns. 

Were  half  an  inch  of, crust  allowed  to  remain,  the  web  and  all  its 
dangers  might  be  abolished.  The  weight  would  thereby  be  lightened, 
while  the  tenacity  of  wet  clay  would  be  deprived  of  any  leverage  on 
which  to  act.  Two  primary  requisites  toward  a  good  hunting  shoe 
would  then  be  obtained.  The  nail  openings  also  being  brought  close 
to  the  inner  margin,  and  the  fastenings  being  driven  in  a  direction  slant- 
ing outward,  a  hold  would  be  taken  of  both  species  of  horn  which  unites 
to  form  the  wall  of  the  foot ;  and  the  nails,  being  firmly  clinched  upon  a 
tough  body  in  lieu  of  a  brittle  substance,  would  be  retained  with  greater 
certainty.  The  weight  of  metal  required  for  such  a  shoe  would  be  de- 
creased, thereby  materially  lessening  the  labor  of  the  horse ;  while  if 
the  nails  pierced  the  toe  of  the  crust,  a  firmer  hold  would  be  obtained, 
and  the  quarters  would  be  left  free  instead  of  being  fettered,  as  is  un- 
avoidable so  long  as  the  present  system  of  nailing  is  continued.  Corns, 
bruise  of  the  sole,  brittle  hoof,  etc.  would  be  avoided,  and  the  dangers 
of  the  forge  no  longer  perpetuated.  Lastly,  the  comfort  of  the  animal 
being  more  tenderly  considered,  the  motions  of  the  quadruped  would  be 
so  much  the  easier,  and  the  more  pleasant — man's  real  interest  being 
best  consulted  by  strict  attention  to  the  happiness  of  all  the  lives  which 
serve  him,  as  every  form  of  existence  succumbs  to  protracted  suffering. 

The  reader,  however,  may  liave  experienced  the  de'ception  which  com- 
monly attends  every  novelty  in  horse  shoes.  Therefore  he  may  think, 
when  the  author  proposes  a  return  to  an  old,  a 
barbarous,  and  an  exploded  form  of  fastening 
on  the  horse's  shoe,  he  simply  aims  at  trying 
an  experiment  with  the  living  property  of  other 
people.  The  writer  does  not  propose  to  con- 
tend against  suspicions;  but  he  produces  the 
plan  which  he  advocates,  and  contrasts  it  with 
the  ordinary  method  of  nailing;  when,  having 
placed  the  evidence  before  his  judges,  he  leaves     '^^  authoe's  proposed  mode 

^  J  D         t  OP  NAILING. 

them  to  decide  on  the  merits  of  the  adverse 

modes,  as  regards  their  likelihood  to  perform  the  offices  of  retaining  a 

ling  of  iron  with  safety  and  with  advantage  upon  the  foot  of  a  horse. 

According  to  the  above  plan,  the  hold  would  be  much  firmer;  it 
^ould  embrace  the  two  kinds  of  horn  which  nature  ordained  should 
unite  to  form  the  wall  of  the  hoof.     The  nail  would  pierce  those  tough 


lOS 


SHOEING. 


and  reriistant  substances  which  were  designed  in  their  unity  to  support 
the  animal's  body,  instead  of  being  driven  perpendicularly  into  the  more 
brittle  covering  of  the  foot,  thereby  dividing  the  fibers  and  frequently 
injuriag  the  hoof,  by  causing  large  flakes  to  chip  off  its  protecting 
envelope. 

The  present  practice  of  the  forge  chiefly  consists  in  removing  as  much 
horn  as  possible :  as  if  the  covering  of  the  foot  were  not  a  natural  growth, 
sent  for  a  healthful  purpose ;  or  it  was  the  sprouting  of  disease,  which 
it  became  imperative  should  be  excised.  The  shoe  is  dragged  off,  and 
afterward  the  punch,  the  pliers,  and  the  drawing-knife  are  employed. 

The  author  does  not  object  to  the  legitimate  use  of  the  last-named 
instrument ;  but  to  its  abuse  he  dissents.  As  the  shoe  alone  rests  upon 
the  earth,  of  course  the  hoof  lacks  needful  attrition.  Therefore,  were 
no  cutting  resorted  to,  the  horn  would  be  prolonged,  and  the  shoe  ulti- 
mately afford  no  protection  to  the  foot,  being  carried  forward  by  the 
growth,  of  the  toe.  It  is  not  unusual  to  see  the  iron,  which  originally 
was  nailed  to  and  encircled  the  hoof,  borne  onward  by  the  continued 
development  of  the  horny  secretion,  in  consequence  of  neglect  having 
allowed  the  shoe  to  remain  on  the  foot  for  months. 


THE  SHOE,  WHEN  SUFFERED  TO  REMAIN  UPON  THE  FOOT  FOR  TOO  LONG  A  PERIOD,  IS  CARRIED   FORWARD  BY 
THE  GROWTH  OF  HORN,  AND  LEAVES  THE  HEELS  UNPROTECTED. 


It  is  well  known  to  physiologists,  that  the  constant  removal  of  any 
natural  growth  is  calculated  to  result  in  one  of  three  effects :  it  may 
stimulate  production,  causing  the  willfully-excised  material  to  be  secreted 
in  unnatural  abundance ;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  interfere  with  the 
powers  of  growth  and  occasion  the  material  to  be  withheld  altogether; 
else  the  operation  may  cause  the  product  to  be  secreted  in  a  diminished 
quantity.  These  conditions  of  hoof  are  those  which  the  English  smith 
most  often  complains  of,  little  suspecting  that  he  may  innocently  have 
aggravated  the  very  evil  over  which  he  so  loudly  laments.  Weak,  shelly 
feet  are  generally  attributed  to  the  colt  having  been  bred  upon  marshy 
soil.  This  accepted  reason  may  answer  its  purpose ;  but  it  does  not 
explain  why,  upon  the  horse  being  taken  into  work,  or  being  carried  a 


SHOEING. 


lO": 


long  distance  from  the  place  of  its  birth,  the  deficiency  should  become 
more  conspicuous,  and  the  weakness  grow  more  annoying  with  each 
successive  shoeing.  Thick,  stubborn  hoofs  are  too  common  to  need 
much  comment;  but  this  effect  is  generally  attributed  to  the  lateraJ 
nailing,  which  confines  the  expansion  of  the  quarters.  Does  not  this* 
excuse  suggest  the  wisdom  of  carrying  the  fastenings  to  the  toe,  where 
the  greater  thickness  of  the  horn  would  afford  better  hold  to  the  nails, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  amount  of  substance  would  forbid  all  idea 
of  motion  ? 


SPECIMENS  OP  A  WW  AND  OF  A   HIGH   HEEL. 


In  reply  to  the  above  suggestion,  it  may  be  answered  that  English 
smiths  like  to  spare  the  toe  of  the  horse's  foot.  All  the  strain  of  draught 
is  thrown  upon  this  part,  which  must  be  dug  forcibly  into  the  earth 
whenever  the  load  is  heavy  or  is  difficult  to  draw.  In  fast-trotting 
animals,  the  toe  receives  the  impetus  of  the  blow  when  the  foot  descends 
upon  the  ground ;  therefore,  it  is  urged,  the  smith  has  found  out  by  ex- 
perience that  no  nail  should  weaken  this  portion  of  the  hoof.  The 
answer  appears  to  be  final,  but,  on  consideration,  it  will  be  found  of 
small  value.  Mr.  Woodger,  one  of  the  best  veterinary  surgeons  in 
London,  informs  the  writer  he  prefers  to  drive  nails  through  the  toe  of 
the  horse's  foot. 

In  the  first  place,  the  different  methods  of  fastening  on  the  shoe  have 
to  be  properly  considered.  The  author  proposes  a  simple  puncture 
through  all  the  substance,  which,  as  the  opening  made  is  filled  with 
metal,  can  hardly  produce  weakness  in  the  structure.  The  smith  drives 
the  nail  perpendicularly,  not  through  the  wall  of  the  hoof,  but  into  its 
outward  investing  envelope,  or  into  a  material  particularly  harsh  and 
resentful  of  interference — thus  separating  the  fibers  of  the  horn,  destroy- 
ing its  integrity,  and,  of  course,  weakening  its  capability  of  sustaining 
violence. 


108 


SHOEING. 


But,  bearing  in  mind  the  foregoing  reply,  supposed  to  be  urged  in 
defense  of  the  estabhshed  custom,  let  it  now  be  asked,  does  the  English 
smith  really  respect  the  part,  about  the  integrity  of  which  he  appears 
to  be  so  anxious?  How  does  he  act,  when  he  fits  upon  the  foot  of  a 
horse  a  shoe  having  a  clip  at  the  toe  ?  Does  he,  then,  scrupulously  re- 
spect the  most  forward  portion  of  the  hoof?  No  !  He  actually  employs 
his  drawing-knife  to  cut  away  the  horn,  thus  forming  a  bed  or  seat 
within  which  the  clip  can  lie  ensconced.  Nor  is  this  all ;  he  turns  up 
the  heels  of  the  shoe  afterward,  thus  forming  a  calkin,  and  actually 
throwing  the  bearing  of  the  hoof  on  that  portion  of  the  foot  which  he 
has  just  denuded  of  its  natural  protection. 


A  SHOE  WITH  A  CLIP  AT  THE  TOE. 


THE  INCISION  WHICH  PKEPAEE8  THE  FOOT  TO 
RECEIVE  THE  CLIP. 


Against  all  objections  embodying  the  cruelty  of  this  mode  of  proceed- 
ing, it  may  be  responded  that  the  horn  is  not  endowed  with  sensation ; 
that  it  can  be  cut  or  burned  without  awakening  the  slightest  feeling ; 
and,  therefore,  the  introduction  of  the  present  remark  is  entirely  out  of 
place.  While  listening  to  such  talk,  it  might  be  inferred  those  processes 
which  a  few  people  speak  of  as  exciting  no  feeling,  were  positively  the 
sources  of  pleasure  to  the  animal.  But  if  shoeing  is  to  the  horse  so  per- 
fectly painless  an  operation,  what  makes  many  of  these  quadrupeds  dread 
its  infliction,  and  refuse  to  enter  the  forge  ?  Is  it  excess  of  happiness 
that  occasions  several  of  these  creatures  to  resist  the  office  of  the  smith, 
and  provokes  a  few  actually  to  struggle  so  violently  to  escape  his  atten- 
tions as  to  sacrifice  their  existences  ?  Is  it  any  form  of  ecstasy  that 
renders  most  animals  fidgety  while  being  shod,  or  is  it  the  restlessness 
of  perfect  bliss  which  induces  nearly  all  to  move  about  as  though  they 
were  anxious  to  escape  ? 

The  horse  is  naturally  docile  and  obedient.  To  serve  man  is  its 
destiny,  to  obey  its  master  is  its  delight.  To  please  the  human  savage, 
it  deforms  a  beautiful  frame  before  it  is  matured;    and,  under  the  im- 


SHOEING.  109 

pulse  of  fear,  submits  to  usage  which  destroys  the  value  of  its  life.  In 
such  a  creature,  which  is  denied  the  use  of  words,  actions  must  be  rea- 
sonably construed,  if  we  desire  to  interpret  its  emotions.  The  acquies- 
cence of  ages  has  viewed  contortion  as  the  evidence  of  agony;  and 
universal  opinion  has  regarded  nervous  movements  as  being  indicative 
of  fear  or  of  suffering. 

The  smith,  to  quiet  timidity,  may  strike  "the  brute"  with  his  heavy 
hammer,  or  with  his  scarcely  lighter  pincers.  But  no  severity  can 
deprive  flesh  of  its  inherent  privilege  to  writhe,  when  tortured.  Fear- 
ful injuries  have  resulted  from  the  smith's  impatience.  Every  blow, 
however,  does  not  lead  to  an  inquiry;  though  any  animal,  having  a 
most  retentive  memory,  may  on  the  next  occasion  shy  as  it  approaches 
the  door  of  the  forge ;  or  it  may  ever  after,  with  that  strange  perversity 
for  which  thoughtless  proprietors  are  at  a  loss  to  account,  prove  resist- 
ful  at  the  approach  of  the  shoeing  smith.  Nevertheless,  though  the 
pantomime  of  terror  should  be  a  language  universally  comprehended, 
few  of  those  most  accustomed  to  horses  can  see  anything  in  the  nervous 
spasms  of  the  animal  but  the  exhibition  of  a  vice  which  needs  to  be  re- 
sisted !  Such  people  will  imagine  they  deserve  to  be  commended  when, 
by  the  exertion  of  their  utmost  force,  they  have  overpowered  the  mute 
timidity  which  was  endeavoring  to  appeal  to  the  sympathy  of  its  heart- 
less superiors. 

Calkins  to  the  shoes  of  the  horse,  as  at  present  made,  are  positive 
abominations.  The  shoe,  in  the  first  instance,  is  forged  too  long  for  the 
foot,  when,  the  extra  length  of  iron  being  bent  downward,  a  calkin  is 
established.  Below,  the  author  presents  a  sketch,  made  from  memory, 
of  the  highest  calkin  he  ever  remembers  to  have  looked  upon.  It  was 
encountered  in  the  country,  soon  after  the  breaking  up  of  a  severe  frost : 
and,  probably,  it  was  intended  to  coun- 
teract the  wear  of  metal  which  invariably 
accompanies  a  frozen  condition  of  the 
highways.  It  would,  however,  with  a 
change  of  weather,  fail  in  its  intent ;  for 
the  principal  wear  is  then  endured  by 
the  toe  of  the  shoe,  and  the  heel  com- 
paratively escapes  friction.  All  such 
things  operate  according  to  their  height. 
They  fling  the  entire  bearing  forward, 
where,  without  any  such   aid,  it  must  a  high  calkin. 

strongly  press.    Although  contraction  of 

the  tendons  is  mostly  confined  to  cart  horses,  (and  this  constrained  posi- 
tion of  the  foot  must  favor  such  an  affection,)  nevertheless  the  smith 


no  SHOEING. 

may  receive  it  as  an  unjust  accusation  when  he  is  told  that  high  calkins 
are  to  blame  for  the  spread  of  such  a  state  of  disease. 

The  author,  probably,  has  said  enough  about  the  evils  attendant  on 
the  present  system  of  shoeing;  and,  although  the  subject  is  far  from 
•  exhausted,  he  yields  to  the  reader's  desire  of  learning  what  the  writer 
would  substitute  in  the  place  of  that  which  causes  the  numerous  evils 
he  has  denounced.  The  reformer's  office  is  but  half  performed  when  the 
bad  is  exposed.  The  most  difficult  part  remains  to  be  discharged — that 
of  conceiving  and  of  declaring  the  good  which  shall  fill  the  void  left  by 
the  necessary  destruction  of  the  evil. 

The  author  is  conscious  that,  after  having  condemned  so  much,  he  has 
placed  himself  under  an  obligation  to  adduce  that  which  he  believes  to 
be  grounded  on  right  principles.  When  doing  this,  the  mighty  question 
of  expense  is  entirely  ignored.  It  is  his  office  to  make  known  the 
remedy;  he  has  no  concern  with  the  cost  of  its  application.  Gentlemen, 
however,  though  exacting  the  utmost  service  from  the  horse,  generally 
begrudge  the  price  of  the  iron  which  must  be  ground  down  while  the 
patient  quadruped  is  laboring  for  its  task-master's  benefit.  With  too 
many  proprietors  the  cheapest  is  the  best  form  of  shoe.  The  temptation 
of  saving  a  few  pence  frequently  sways  the  judgment  in  favor  of  some 
particular  article.  The  welfare  and  the  life  of  earth's  most  beautiful 
ornament  is,  by  too  many  human  beings,  reduced  to  a  money  considera- 
tion. So  thoroughly  is  this  fact  appreciated  that,  when  a  new  shoe  is 
submitted  to  the  notice  of  the  forge,  its  chances  of  success  are  always 
judged  by  the  charge  for  which  it  can  be  manufactured,  apart  from  the 
merits  of  the  invention. 

There  is,  however,  a  custom  general  in  the  forge  which  has  been  dis- 
carded by  other  trades.  The  linen-draper  tickets  up  the  goods  in  which 
he  deals ;  and,  be  the  customer  rich  or  poor,  the  price  is  known  to  both. 
The  smith,  however,  will  charge  the  tradesman  three  shillings  and  six- 
pence, or  four  shillings,  the  set,  for  a  horse's  shoes ;  while  the  person  of 
independent  property,  or  in  the  upper  sphere  of  life,  he  makes  pay  five 
shillings  for  the  self-same  article.  This  rule  can  be  based  on  no  principle 
of  fair  dealing,  and  it  needs  only  to  be  exposed  to  be  immediately  over- 
thrown. Yet,  even  up  to  the  present  time,  so  exploded  and  so  anti- 
quated a  rule  of  trade  prevails  in  the  forge,  where  the  addition  of  an 
extra  sixpence  is  unjustly  made  to  turn  the  scale  of  merit. 

However,  the  author  has  here  nothing  to  do  with  such  considerations. 
His  duty  is  confined  to  freely  stating  his  conscientious  convictions,  and 
to  acknowledging  the  reader  as  the  appointed  judge  of  the  soundness  or 
unsoundness  of  his  conclusions.  Impressed  with  such  a  belief,  the  fol- 
lowing form  of  shoe  is  submitted  to  the  public.     It  is,  by  the  writer, 


SHOEING. 


Ill 


designated  "a  slipper  shoe;"  and  the  appearance  of  such  a  protection, 
when  fixed  upon  the  foot  of  a  heavy  horse,  is  presented  below. 

The  principal  peculiarity  in  this  shoe  is  the  long  strip  of  metal  which 
rises  above  the  upper  surface  and  conceals  about  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  of  the  toe.  This  is  not  an  enlarged  kind  of  clip,  but  a  hollow  re- 
ceptacle, which  projects  above  the  shoe  and  covers  part  of  the  hoof 
The  use  will  be  best  understood  when  stated  that  it  confers  the  name — 
the  slipper  shoe.  The  toe  is  sheltered  within  the  shallow  cavity,  and  its 
purpose  is  to  afford  the  stay  which  the  clip  imperfectly  provides  at  the 
expense  of  the  horn's  destruction.  When  the  fore  portion  of  the  foot  is 
being  dug  into  the  eai*th,  this  provision,  while  it  allows  the  hoof  to  be 
employed  in  its  integrity,  will  prevent  all  the  stress  being  transferred  to 
the  nails,  and  thus  hinder  the  clinches  being  loosened. 


THE  FOOT  OP  A  HEAVY  ANIMAL,  'WITH    THE  SUPPER  SHOE  FIXED  ON  IX. 


Thif  shoe  has  no  web.  It  consists  of  a  piece  of  iron  the  breadth  of 
■which  is  merely  sufficient  to  afford  a  secure  lodgment  for  the  crust.  The 
thing  possesses  true  calkins,  but  their  existence  does  not  interfere  with 
the  level  of  the  upper  surface  on  which  the  foot  rests.  The  shoe  is 
forged  of  one  thickness  from  toe  to  heel;  and  a  portion  of  metal  under 
each  quarter  being  removed,  leaves  the  calkin,  which  thus  only  serves  to 
maintain  the  evenness  of  the  bearing.  A  slipper  shoe,  adapted  for  a 
lighter  kind  of  animal  than  was  supposed  in  the  above  illustration,  and 
not  fixed  on  the  foot,  is  presented  on  the  next  page. 

It  may  possibly  be  urged  that  in  thus  forming  the  calkin,  the  author 


112  SHOEING. 

has  weakened  the  strength  of  the  quarters.  Nature  has,  however,  set 
the  example,  by  weakening  the  horn  at  the  quarters ;  nevertheless,  by  so 
doing  she  has  not  destroyed  the  strength  of  the  hoof.  The  quarters  of 
an  old  shoe,  when  removed  after  six  weeks'  hard  wear,  invariably  are 
not  sensibly  duninished  in  substance,  showing  that  the  lessened  amount 
of  horn  communicates  small  friction  to  the  metal.  Besides,  the  toe  is 
supported  upon  massive  iron,  while  the  heels  are  upheld  by  blocks  of  the 
same  metal.  A  law  of  mechanics  instructs  us  that  if  the  extremities  of 
any  powerful  substance  are  adequately  sustained,  the  body  which  bridges 
over  the  space  may  be  without  support.  The  heels  being  raised  to  an 
equal  height  with  the  toe,  the  metal  left  at  the  quarters,  as  it  is  removed 
from  attrition,  is  imagined  to  be  fully  equal  to  the  necessities  of  its  posi- 
tion. 


A  HEAVY   SHOE. 


A  LIGHT  SHOE. — SHOWING  THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  CALKINS  MAY  BE  FORMED,  WITHOUT  ANT 
INCREASE  OF  WEIGHT. 

The  diagram  exhibits  the  Slipper  Shoe,  as  suited  for  different  breeds  of  animals ;  also  shows  the 
sameness  in  both  kinds  of  manufacture. 

Most  existing  shoes  are  fullered,  or  have  a  hollow  space,  narrow  but 
long,  near  to  the  outer  margin.  Into  this  empty  void  or  groove  the 
heads  of  the  nails  are  received ;  but  as  the  substance  in  front  is  ground 
down  by  wear,  of  course  the  duration  of  the  shoe  must  be  shortened  in 
proportion  to  the  depth  of  the  fullering.  That  the  reader  may  fully  com- 
prehend the  signification  of  a  fullered  shoe,  on  the  following  page  is  a 
copy,  made  from  Mr.  Goodwin's  excellent  work  on  Shoeing,  which  the 
author  can  recommend  as  the  fullest,  the  most  explicit,  and  altogether  the 
best  book  on  this  topic  which  was  ever  written  in  the  English  language. 

By  inspecting  the  next  illustration,  which  represents  the  ground  sur- 
face, the  reader  will  perceive  an  indented  void  near  to  the  outer  margin. 


SHOEING. 


113 


Behind  this  indentation  or  fullered  cavity  the  iron  gradually  slopes  away^ 
so  that  the  substance  which  is  exposed  to  wear,  and  on  which  the  hors<> 
must  travel,  consists  of  the  narrow  strip  that  extends  round  the  outward 
edge  of  the  shoe. 


A  SHOE,  WITH  THE  NAILS   CODNTERBUNK. 

(Ground  surface.) 


A   FULLERED   SHOE. 

(Ground  surface.) 


The  author's  proposed  shoe  contemplates  iron  of  an  equal  thickness  at 
every  point  which  is  usually  exposed  to  wear.    The  nails  are  driven  into 


DIAGRAMS,  SHOWING   THE  DIFFERENCE   BETWEEN  FTTLLEEING   AND   COUNTERSINKING,  FOR  RECEIVING  THE 
NAIL   HEAD   OF  A   BORSE'S   SHOE. 


Fullering,  or  a  free  indentation  round  the  shoe. 
This  space  is  indicated  by  the  dark  portion 
of  the  diagram,  and  within  which  the  heads 
of  the  nails  repose. 


Countersinking,  or  only  removing  so  much 
metal  as  may  be  filled  up  by  the  heads  of 
the  nails  which  are  to  retain  the  shoe 
upon  the  horse's  foot. 


holes  made  to  fit  close  around  the  heads  of  those  fastenings,  so  that  the 
shoe  being  fixed,  no  loss  of  substance  is  to  be  detected ;  for  the  nail  heads 
fill  the  spaces  which  were  countersunk  for  their  admission. 

The  nails  pierce  the  toe  of  the  proposed  new  shoe.  This  part  is 
selected,  because  this  portion  of  hoof  is  covered  with  the  thicker  horn ; 
therefore  is  indicated  as  the  region  where  all  stress  should  bear.  The 
author  is  aware  that,  among  smiths,  there  is  a  strong  objection  to  driv- 
ing nails  in  the  center  of  the  wall.  Yet  it  seems  to  the  writer  that  a 
more  violent  outrage  is  inflicted  by  actually  removing  a  portion  of  its 
substance,  so  as  to  make  an  abiding  place  for  a  clip,  than  by  piercing 
obUquely  the  strongest  part  of  the  hoof,  subsequent  to  the  toe  having 
grown  below  the  true  foot. 

The  thickness  of  wall  there  offers  several  advantages,  when  consider- 
ing the  retention  of  nails.  The  soUdity  of  the  secretion  is  a  proof  that 
this  portion  of  the  hoof  is  not  endowed  with  motion.  Consequently, 
when  fastening  a  piece  of  iron  to  it,  we  are  not  fearful  of  interfering 

8 


lU  SHOEING. 

with  the  exercise  of  a  healthful  function.  Such  would  be  the  case  if 
the  nails  were  to  fix  the  quarters,  where  the  joint  thinness,  moisture, 
and  elasticity  of  the  horn  afford  the  best  evidence  nature  meant  should 
reside  expansion  and  contraction. 

When  the  contents  of  the  foot  are  compressed  by  the  superimposed 
weight  of  the  animal,  or  when  the  hoof  is  resting  upon  the  ground,  the 
quarters  yield  to  the  downward  pressure,  and  they  accordingly  expand. 
When  the  burden  is  removed  by  the  hoof  being  raised,  the  quarters 
again  fly  back  to  their  original  situations.  The  sides,  therefore,  being 
in  constant  motion,  are  entirely  unsuited  for  the  purposes  to  which  the 
smith  compels  them.  No  wonder  the  clinches  are  loosened,  or  the  shoes 
come  off,  when  the  nails  are  driven  into  parts  hardly  ever  at  rest ;  this 
action  is  important  to  the  circulation,  for  the  contraction  still  allows  the 
arterial  blood  free  ingress,  while  the  exijansion  permits  the  full  return 
of  the  venous  current. 

Therefore,  because  the  thickness  of  horn  denies  the  possibility  of 
movement ;  because  the  amount  of  inorganic  secretion  likewise  pre- 
sents a  reasonable  hope  of  not  injuring  other  and  more  delicate  struc- 
tures; and  because  the  toe  affords  those  numerous  properties  which, 
for  the  retention  of  the  fastenings  are  I'endered  imperative,  the  nails, 
in  opposition  to  the  usage  of  ages  and  the  experience  of  thousands,  are 
fixed  within  the  anterior  of  the  hoof — seven  or  five  being  there  employed 
to  fix  the  shoe. 

There  is  another  quality  appertaining  to  the  proposed  shoe  which 
may  be  briefly  touched  upon.  The  thing  is  equally  applicable  to  the 
field  or  to  the  road.  For  hunting  purposes,  it  is  superior  to  any  modern 
shoe.  It  possesses  no  unnecessary  surface,  being  absolutely  without 
web,  and  is  lighter  for  the  absence  of  so  useless  a  provision.  It  is  also 
fixed  more  firmly  upon  the  foot,  being  the  better  able  to  withstand  the 
drag,  always  present,  when  riding  in  winter  over  stiff  clays.  Moreover, 
it  does  not  fetter  the  quarters  of  the  hoof  or  necessitate  vast  removal 
of  the  sole ;  consequently  it  leaves  the  pliable  horn  to  aid  the  spring, 
thereby  allowing  the  horse  the  full  exercise  of  its  natural  power. 

This  reference  to  one  kind  of  sport,  naturally  calls  to  mind  another 
form  of  amusement  in  which  the  horse  is  a  principal  performer.  Thor- 
ough-breds,  before  they  start  for  the  race,  are  shod  in  very  light,  but  in 
equally  thin  shoes,  of  which  the  appended  example  may  convey  some 
idea.  Now,  thinness  and  lightness,  where  metal  is  concerned,  are  attain- 
able only  by  the  sacrifice  of  strength.  The  sad  accidents  which  have 
occurred  through  using  the  present  racing  plates,  and  by  these  being 
broken,  bent,  or  twisted,  during  the  violence  of  the  contention,  ought  to 
provoke  their  abolition. 


SHOEING. 


115 


Sucli  accidents  are,  however,  fortunately  more  rare  than  the  substance 
of  the  shoe  might  lead  most  readers  to  suppose.  Nevertheless,  a  greater 
injury  is  consummated  by  affixing  a  fetter,  which  prevents  the  elasticity 
of  the  quarters  aiding  the  exertions  of  the  animal,  while,  from  its  dimen- 
sion, it  can  aiford  but  little  protection  to  the  foot.  How  much  the  speed 
of  the  racer  must  be  dependent  upon  that  elasticity  with  which  the  quar- 
ters are  endowed,  may  be  judged  of  by  any  person  who  has  ever  visited 
a  race-course  and  beheld  the  horses  trot  previous  to  the  start.  Who  can 
have  failed  to  notice  the  play  of  fetlock  by  which  "the  blood  action"  is 
characterized  ?     Now,  nature  never  forms  one  part  an  exception  to  the 


AN   OLD   AND  A   MODERN  RACING   PLATE. 


.whole.  She  delights  in  harmony ;  consequently  the  spring  which  resides 
in  the  fetlock  is  positive  evidence  of  the  elasticity  which  belongs  to  the 
unfettered  foot.  But  the  bounding  property,  which  the  frog,  sole,  and 
quarters  would  naturally  provide,  the  trainer  counteracts,  in  order  to  im- 
pose a  dangerous  article,  which  is  not  a  horse  shoe,  nor  even  a  respectable 
substitute  for  one. 

It  is  so  formed,  however,  as  to  exercise  the 
worst  functions  of  the  regular  shoe.  It  is  a 
fetter  upon  the  foot,  and  firmly  impales  the 
quarters,  thereby  seriously  crippling  the  animal 
and  impeding  the  natural  power.  If  any  part 
of  a  thorough-bred's  foot  required  metallic  pro- 
tection, it  could  only  be  the  toe ;  for  this  part 
alone  is  employed  during  the  horse's  quickest 
pace.  The  other  portions  of  the  hoof  touch 
the  ground,  when  aiding  the  spring ;  but  these 
are  never  used  with  that  amount  of  energy 
which  necessitates  anything  approaching  arti- 
ficial defense.  Now,  the  plate  and  its  nails 
check  expansion ;  these  also  oppose  that  force  of  rebound  residing  in  the 
fioof  and  in  its  various  structures.    The  best  horse  must  feel  the  bondage 


A  TIP  OR  HALF  SHOE  NAILED  ONLY 
TO  THE  TOE,  AND  LEAVING  BOTH 
THE  QUARTERS  FREE. 


IM  SHOEING. 

most  The  spring  or  rebound  is  to  it  of  most  value.  But  that  function 
is  destroyed.  Many  a  fine  animal  has,  doubtless,  been  condemned  for 
having  "no  go  in  him,"  which,  could  it  have  exerted  all  its  natural 
power,  would  have  been  declared  winner  of  every  race  for  which  it  was 
ever  entered. 

The  late  William  Percivall,  the  respected  author  of  Hippo-pathology, 
many  years  ago  informed  the  author  that  he  had  long  ridden  a  young 
horse  about  town  with  no  greater  protection  to  its  forefeet  than  tips 
could  afford.  He  showed  the  hoofs  of  the  animal  to  the  writer,  and 
more  open  or  better  examples  of  the  healthy  horse's  feet  need  not  be  de- 
#sired.  Why  could  not  tips  be  employed  by  racers,  instead  of  the  present 
ridiculous  pretense  at  a  shoe  ?  If  any  greater  protection  is  imperative, 
or  is  thought  to  be  needed,  the  shoe  proposed  by  the  author  would  give 
all  security,  while  it  left  the  pedal  structured  free  to  exercise  their  import- 
ant uses.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  safety  of  tips ;  in  which,  if 
Mr.  Percivall  could  for  years  take  his  quadruped  through  the  streets  of 
London,  another  animal  might,  surely,  scamper  over  the  well-kept  turf 
of  a  race-course,  where  the  heels  merely  touch  the  earth  during  the 
intervals  of  leaps,  and  then  only  for  an  instant. 

Were  tips  more  generally  employed,  this  form  of  shoe  would  be  more 
highly  valued.     They  are,  however,  now  thought  only  to  be  of  service 
when  the  animal  is,  "for  a  season,"  thrown  up;  but  there  can  he  no. 
reason  why  the  racer — trained,  exercised,  and  worked  always  on  choice 

turf — should  ever  be  crippled  by  any  more 
regular  form  of  shoe.  Most  horsemen,  how- 
ever, like  the  warriors  of  old,  place  their  great 
dependence  on  the  accumulation  of  iron.  The 
nearest  approach  they  ever  make  toward  a  tip, 
and  then  only  when  guarded  by  a  veterinary 
surgeon's  advice,  is  a  three-quarter  shoe.  The 
tip  is  a  protection  to  be  worn  only  during  the 
run  at  grass,  and  to  be  discarded  so  soon  as 
the  stable  is  entered.  Is  not  the  racer  always 
A  THBE.-QUARTEK  SHOE,  WHICH  ^t  grass,  siucB  the  Tail  or  the  van  generally 
oNi,T  LEAVES  ONE-QOAKTER  UN-     garrics  it  ovei  thc  roads  ?     How  often  do  the 

FETTERED. 

feet  of  the  thorough-bred  fail,  though  there 
must  be  further  cause  than  the  work  they  have  undergone  ?  But  no  one 
is  silly  enough  to  suspect  the  shoeing  can  be  at  fault ! 

The  three-quarter  shoe  is  but  an  enlarged  kind  of  tip.  Most  horsemen 
appreciate  the  unilateral  naiUng,  which  was  revived  some  years  ago  by 
that  excellent  veterinary  surgeon,  Mr.  Turner,  of  Regent  Street.  They 
can  understand  the  advantages  of  leaving  one-quarter  without  nails  so 


I 


SHOEING. 


117 


long  as  the  unfettered  part  be  covered  by  a  regular  shoe.  They  com- 
prehend that  by  omitting  the  nails  on  one  side  of  the  hoof,  that  side  is 
left  free  to  exercise  its  natural  property  of  expansion.  Therefore  they 
perceive  that  the  unilateral  mode  of  shoeing  is  a  partial  remedy  for 
contraction. 

Though  always  worked  on  grass,  and  ever  lightly  shod,  no  animal  is 
so  troubled  with  mule  hoofs  as  is  the  racer ;  yet  no  quadruped  is  so  en- 
tirely under  the  inspection  of  man.  The  mode  of  shoeing  must  be  at 
fault.  That  cannot  be  right  the  results  from  which  are  purely  evil. 
The  consequences  experienced  from  the  custom  of  fettering  that  portion 
of  the  foot  on  which  the  pleasure  of  motion  and  the  extent  of  the  re- 
bound both  depend,  argue  strongly  in  favor  of  tips,  not  only  as  training, 
but  more  especially  as  running  shoes.  Men  with  fleshy  feet,  having  no 
protection  from  leather,  fearlessly  tread  the  race-course ;  yet  the  owners 
of  blood  stock  seem  afraid*  of  trusting  their  animals  to  perform  an  act 
not  equally  bold — although  nature  sends  the  horse  into  the  world  with 
ready-made  and  stout-made  shoes.  There  can  be  no  just  reason  why 
the  steed  which  never  quits  the  turf  need  be  hampered  even  with  a 
unilateral  shoe,  were  the  horn  only  carefully,  and  not  ruthlessly,  cut 
away. 


A  SEATED  AND  A  UNILATERAL  SnOE. 


A  seated  shoe  implies  a  regular  shoe,  which  has  only  so  much  upper 
surface  left  as  will  admit  of  the  crust  resting  upon  it.  The  remainder 
of  the  web  slants  away,  till  the  posterior  or  inner  margin  becomes  a 
comparatively  fine  edge.  Such  a  make  of  shoe  may  lessen  the  weight, 
but  it  can  afford  no  protection  ;  while  it  offers  a  snug  lodging  for  stones 
or  grit,  and  presents  an  extended  surface  for  the  huntsman's  dreaded 
heavy  clay  to  act  upon.  Yet,  for  the  sake  of  its  prettiness,  the  seated 
shoe  is  all  but  universally  adopted.  No  other  form  is  so  largely  patron- 
ized by  what  should  be  the  informed  class  of  society. 


118 


SHOEING. 


ME.  BRACT  CLARK'S  JOINTED  SHOS. 


Mr  Bracy  Clark  once  brought  forward  a  jointed  shoe,  which  was 
intended  to  admit  of  expansion;  and  was  offered  to  the  public  as  a 
radical  cure  for  all  the  evils  to  which  the  foot  of  the  horse  was  liable. 

The  joint  was  placed  at  the  toe,  the  shoe 
being  forged  in  two  halves,  which  were 
united  by  means  of  a  rivet.  The  thing 
was  wrong  in  principle.  The  toe,  which 
nature  intended  should  be  fixed,  was  obliged 
to  move,  before  the  heels  could  expand; 
then,  parts  could  not  yield  in  different 
degrees,  but  all  must  move  at  once,  accord- 
ing to  the  motion  of  the  iron.  It  was  soon 
discovered  to  be  terribly  injurious,  when 
brought  into  use.  The  battering  speedily 
fixed  the  central  rivet,  and  afterward  wore 
away  the  joint,  leavmg  the  two  halves  disunited.  A  thing  which  turns 
out  defective,  both  in  principle  and  in  practice,  merits  that  neglect  into 
which  the  jointed  shoe  has  now  fallen. 

Another  mechanical  ameliorator  was  termed  the  screw  shoe.  This 
had  two  rivets — one  on  either  side  of  the  toe, 
operating  on  two  movable  quarter  pieces.  The 
sides,  therefore,  were  capable  of  all  motion,  and, 
being  nailed  to  the  quarters,  were,  by  turning 
the  screw,  to  be  forced  outward.  The  screw 
was  situated  under  the  frog,  and  was  retained 
in  its  position  by  a  stout  bar  of  iron  connected 
with  the  toe  piece.  Man,  however,  cannot  treat 
any  portion  of  an  organic  frame  as  it  were  an 
inorganic  substance.  He  may  tear  flesh,  but  he 
cannot  stretch  or  strain  living  tissues  according  to  his  pleasure.  More- 
over, all  outward  secretions  are  regulated  by  the  parts  which  they  cover 
and  inclose.  Thus,  supposing  a  lad  born  with  a  diminutive  head,  the 
cranium  cannot  be  enlarged  by  any  degree  of  force;  but  educate  the 
boy,  exercise  the  intellect  of  the  youth,  and,  with  the  greater  develop- 
ment of  the  brain,  the  bones  of  the  head  will  sensibly  expand.  So  it 
must  be  with  the  heels  of  the  horse's  feet.  These  parts  may  become 
rigid  and  wired  in  by  the  fixing  power  exercised  by  the  nails  of  the 
shoe.  But  remove  the  nails,  allow  the  hoof  that  motion  which  is  need- 
ful to  its  health,  and  its  internal  structures  may  recover  their  lost  func- 
tions ;  a  gradual  restoration  to  the  normal  shape  may  be  the  consequence 
of  strength  regained  by  the  internal  organs. 

The  veterinary  mind  was,  however,  slow  to  recognize  so  plain  a  rule. 


A   SCREW  SHOE. 


SHOEING.  119 

Like  all  nature's  laws,  the  truth  necessitated  not  that  show  of  mastery 
in  which  the  ignorant  especially  delight.  The  famous  screw  shoe  is 
everywhere  admitted  to  have  been  a  decided  failure;  nevertheless,  the 
pride  of  poor  humanity  could  not  relinquish  the  hope  of  compelling  life; 
through  the  power,  to  direct  mechanical  force.  Screws  and  rivets  had 
proved  alike  hurtful,  but  there  still  remained  other  artifices,  which  were 
as  yet  untried.  The  frog-pressure  shoe  was  one  of  these,  which  ultimately 
lamed  many  horses,  without  having  benefited  a  single  one.  The  wedge- 
heeled  shoe  is,  however,  occasionally  encountered,  even  at  the  present 
day.  It  consists  of  a  shoe,  imperfectly  seated  upon  its  upper  surface, 
and  which  has  the  heels  much  thicker  or  higher  than  the  toe.  The  iron, 
at  the  inside  heel,  is  beaten  into  an  angular  form,  the  apex  of  the  angle 
looking  toward  the  foot.  The  intention  is,  that  the  heel,  resting  upon 
a  slanting  surface,  should  slide  downward  and  outward,  thus  being 
forced  gradually  to  expand.  The  shoe  may  be  said,  up  to  a  particular 
point,  to  answer  the  inventor's  expectations.  The  hoof  certainly  does 
slide  downward  and  outward ;  only,  when  this  is  accomplished,  the  wall 
has  been  torn  from  its  attachments,  while  the  apex  of  the  wedge,  coming 
into  contact  with  the  soft  sole,  has  actually  forced  its  way  through  the 
horn  covering  the  last-named  part,  thereby  lamentably  laming  the  poor 
horse.  Could  the  teaching  of  principle  have  been  interpreted,  so  sad  a 
result  might  have  been  understood  without  positively  experimenting 
with  breathing  life. 


A   WEI)Ofi-H£EL£I>   SHOE. 


But  pride  has  no  brains,  and  a  very  limited  degree  of  feeling.  .A 
modification  of  the  above  shoe  is  still  to  be  met  in  the  London  shops. 
The  nail  holes  are  principally  at  the  toe,  one  only  being  inserted  at  the 
most  forward  part  of  each  quarter.  The  author's  proposed  plan  of  fas- 
tening the  shoe  is,  therefore,  no  positive  novelty ;  since  the  smith,  before 


120  SHOEING. 

now,  has  impaled  the  toe  of  the  foot.  A  return  to  perfect  freedom,  how- 
ever, could  alone  cure  the  evils  caused  by  un- 
natural restraint.  The  wedge  heel  pointed  the 
toe  toward  the  earth;  injured  the  bars  and  the 
sole ;  often  causing  large  portions  of  the  coffin- 
bone  to  exfoliate.  Seeing  the  plan  did  not 
answer,  the  next  inventor  lowered  the  heels  and 
raised  the  forward  part,  this  thing  being  named 
a  "thin-heeled  shoe."     However,  one  extreme 

A  THIN-HEELED  SHOE.  .ii,l  i  ill  jl 

could  not  heal  the  wounds  provoked  by  another ; 
and  the  position  of  the  hoof,  which  the  pavement  of  the  stalls  enforces 
while  the  horse  is  in  the  stable,  the  thin-heeled  shoe  perpetuated  when- 
ever the  animal  was  taken  abroad.  Ceaseless  discomfort  can  advantage 
no  form  of  existence. 

The  last  shoe,  moreover,  besides  being  thin  at  the  heels,  also  dis- 
played a  mild  desire  to  retain  the  feature  of  the  wedge.  This  was  done 
without  the  inventor  suspecting  that,  when  he  fixed  the  quarters  of  the 
hoof  at  a  high  altitude,  and  invited  the  heels  to  slide  down  an  inclined 
plane,  he  was  only  laying  a  trap  for  loosening  the  clinches;  since,  the 
quarters  and  the  heels  being  continuous,  one  cannot  move  without  the 
other  being  displaced. 

All  men  having,  theoretically,  insisted  on  the  necessity  of  permitted 
freedom  of  motion  to  the  quarters,  in  order  to  secure  the  health  of  the 
foot,  the  next  novelty  was  a  proposition  to  confine  those  parts,  by  estab- 
lishing a  large  clip  at  either  side  of  the  shoe. 
The  clips  were  forged ;  but  the  thin  heels  were 
also   retained.     The   highest  portion  being  at 
the  toe,  of  course  the  foot,  obeying  the  laws  of 
gravity,  had  an  inclination  to  drag  toward  the 
lower  level — thus  the  thin  heels  had  a  tendency 
to  draw  the  hoof  away  from  the  clips,  one  part 
counteracting  the  other.     Then,  the  clip  shoe 
A  CUP  SHOE.  j^^g  ^  pjgpg  q|.  g^ggj  inserted  at  the  toe ;  but 

could  an  everlasting  horse  shoe  be  produced,  it  would  bring  but  small 
gain  to  the  proprietor ;  since  the  natural  growth  of  the  horn  necessitates 
that  the  metal  should  be  removed,  that  new  nails  should  be  inserted,  and 
that  the  foot  should  be  pared  out  every  third  week.  However,  the  steel 
toe  and  the  thin  heels  were  incompatible  with  each  other ;  since  the  thin 
heels  took  the  bearing  from  that  part  which  the  steel  presupposes  to  be 
^lone  liable  to  attrition. 

It  would,  however,  be  vain  to  review  all  the  shoes  which  have  come 
before  the  pubUc. .   A  certain  rim  of  iron  has  been  pinched  up,  flattened 


SHOEING.  121 

out,  squeezed  in,  twisted  about,  has  been  lengthened  and  has  been 
shortened,  subjected  to  every  species  of  treatment  but  the  right;  and 
each  trivial  alteration  has  been  patented  to  the  public  as  a  final  and  a 
wonderful  improvement.  After  all  the  many  changes,  at  the  present 
time  a  modification  of  the  shoe  originally  introduced  by  Clark,  of  Edin- 
burgh, is  in  general  use,  or,  if  such  an  assertion  requires  any  qualifica- 
tion, the  hospital  shoes,  or  shoes  suited  for  particular  forms  of  disease, 
are  the  principal  exceptions. 

The  generality  of  grooms  will  undertake  the  relief  of  those  injuries 
occasioned  during  motion,  or  which  are  produced  by  one  leg  being  hit 
by  the  opposite  foot. 

Of  cutting  there  are  two  descriptions.  One  is  spoken  of  as  "brush- 
ing," and  this  kind  occurs  near  to  the  pastern  joint.  The  other  is  called 
"speedy-cut,"  and  it  takes  place  immediately  below  the  knee.  Both 
are  equally  annoying;  but  the  last  is  the  most  dangerous,  "Speedy- 
cut"  will  destroy  the  rider's  security  in  his  horse ;  for  a  blow  on  the  seat 
of  injury  may  bring  the  animal  suddenly  to  earth.  Both  affections  are 
likely  to  occasion  exostosis ;  for  the  repeated  injury  may  so  irritate  the 
bone  as  shall  cause  it  to  enlarge  or  tumefy.  Thus,  the  renewal  of  the 
accident  produces  a  result  which  must  increase  the  probability  of  its 
recurrence. 

Almost  all  weakly,  long-legged,  and  narrow-chested  horses  cut. 
Creatures  with  cow  hocks  are  said  to  be  exposed  to  this  calamity. 
Many  young  horses  strike  in  going;  but  they  lose  the  habit  as  age 
matures  the  strength.  Nearly  all  animals,  when  exhausted,  will 
"brush,"  and  often  very  severely.  Lately,  a  ring  of  India-rubber 
has  been  employed  as  a  protection  against  this  annoyance;  but  it  is 
a  mere  fantasy,  and  one  not  at  all  calculated  to  realize  any  practical 
expectation.  Confirmed  disappointment  engenders  a  feeling  allied  to 
desperation;  but  when  nostrums  fail,  advice  should  then  be  sought 
from  more  lofty  counselors. 

The  speedy-cut  has  already  been  alluded  to  in  the  Illustrated  Horse 
Doctor ;  but  in  that  volume  no  mention  was  made  of  what  is  ordinarily 
implied  by  "brushing,"  which  is  conned  principally  to  the  hind  extrem- 
ities. It  is  astonishing  how  great  may  be  the  annoyance  which  a  mat- 
ter apparently  so  trivial  will  occasion;  and  it  is  a  legitimate  source  of 
surprise  how  deep  the  wound  can  be,  or  how  lasting  the  blemish,  pro- 
duced by  slight  blows,  frequently  becomes.  The  groom  may  exhaust 
his  stock  of  remedies,  and  the  master  may  expend  some  money  and 
much  patience,  watching  for  a  cure  which  is  i^ever  effected. 

Let  the  defeated  proprietor  then  apply  to  some  practical  veterinary 
Burgeon,  who  will  inform  him  of  the  real  cause  of  the  injury  which  has 


122 


SHOEING. 


alreadj  been  intimated.  Some  horses  will  only  cut  during  the  latter 
portion  of  a  long  journey,  or  when  thoroughly  exhausted.  Other 
quadrupeds  are  afflicted  with  a  chronic  description  of  weakness,  and 
such  animals  may  cut  with  the  first  step.  These  creatures  require  less 
work  or  entire  rest,  with  a  course  of  tonics,  both  in  food  and  medicine. 
However,  make  and  shape  certainly  have  some  control  over  this  affec- 
tion. The  horse  which  exhibits  a 
wide  chest,  and  stands  with  the  feet 
not  too  close  together,  very  rarely 
speedy-cuts.  The  animal  which  pos- 
sesses well-made  haunches  with  prom- 
inent hips  and  swelling  thighs,  that 
appear  full,  round,  and  fleshy,  espe- 
cially when  such  a  creature  places 
the  fetlocks  under  the  hocks,  must  be 
driven  very  far  and  pushed  very  hard 
before  the  pace  shall  become  injuri- 
ous. 

Several  repeated  remedies  have 
been  sold  for  the  relief  of  this  de- 
fect. Saddlers  keep  in  stock  pieces 
of  leather,  or  small  flaps  with  straps 
appended,  which  last,  being  buckled 
round  the  leg,  hang  pendulous,  cover- 
ing the  wound.  Such  applications,  however,  rarely  are  satisfactory. 
The  horse,  during  the  motion  of  the  feet,  repeatedly  kicks  the  leather, 


THE  KIND   OF   HORSE  NOT  LIKELY  TO  CUT. 


EEMEDIES   FOR   CDTTINQ. 


and  the  frequent  blows  generally  remove  it  from  its  original  situation ; 
thus,  long  before  the  journey  has  ended,  the  remedy  hangs  over  some 
sound  part  of  the  leg,  and  the  sore  is  bleeding  from  renewed  injury. 


SHOEING. 


123 


A  better  plan  is  to  procure  a  piece  of  cloth  which  matches  the  coJor 
of  the  animal,  and  to  fold  this  round  the  leg,  ultimately  tying  it  at  tne 
top  and  the  bottom.  Such  a  contrivance  cannot  be  displaced,  and  is  less 
likely  to  attract  attention  than  the  leathern  flap  recently  alluded  to. 
However,  it  must  be  tightly  wrapped  round  the  shin  or  it  will  bag  and 
appear  unsightly,  as  it  is  represented  in  the  previous  illustration.  Still, 
such  a  resort  affords  but  a  partial  protection,  cloth  being  unable  to  stay 
the  entire  consequences  of  a  blow ;  nor  can  it  be  regarded  as  exercising 
a  curative  influence. 

That  which  appears  better  is  a  leathern  boot,  of  the  color  of  the  skin, 
or  made  of  prepared  horse  skin, 
having  the  hair  on,  and  laced  upon 
the  member.  Over  the  seat  of  in- 
jury a  concave  piece  of  stout  leather 
is  let  into  the  covering,  and  the  hol- 
low thus  formed,  which  acts  as  a 
protection,  can  also  receive  a  por- 
tion of  lint  saturated  in  th6  lotion, 
prepared  by  adding  one  grain  of 
chloride  of  zinc  to  an  ounce  of  water. 
Thus,  while  the  sore  is  spared  a  re- 
newal of  the  cause,  curative  treat- 
ment is  not  stayed. 

The  chloride  of  zinc  lotion  is  the 
only  remedy  which  an  ordinary  case 
of  cutting  would  require ;  "but  aggravated  instances  of  this  annoyance 
will  also  be  benefited  by  rest  and  a  course  of  restoratives  to  amend  the 
constitutional  debility.  Other  matters  consist  in  a  warm  lodging,  an 
ample  bed,  prepared  food,  walking  exercise,  a  loose  box,  and,  above  all 
things,  no  work.  Should  the  animal  be  changing  its  coat,  which  is  gen- 
erally a  period  of  weakness,  throw  it  up  till  the  operation  is  completed ; 
give  extra  nourishment  and  one  ounce  of  liquor  arsenicalis,  each  day,  to 
assist  nature.  Never  turn  out  to  grass ;  for  numerous  are  the  examples 
of  flagging  quadrupeds  which,  after  the  supposed  invigoration  of  a 
month's  "run,"  have  been  taken  up  in  a  condition  which  disabled  them 
for  labor  ever  afterward. 

Such  an  animal  should  enjoy  the  very  best  of  softened  food — beans  in 
excess — and  should  be  retained  at  the  homestead.  It  should  be  hand- 
led, not  ridden,  to  exercise,  of  which  it  can  hardly  have  too  much,  pro- 
vided the  motion  does  not  excite  perspiration  or  cause  evident  fatigue, 
neither  of  which  states  is  desirable.  Should  the  horse  sweat  in  the 
stable,  remove  all  clothing,  open  the  door,  and  pour  over  the  body  several 


A  LEATHERN    BOOT. 


124 


SHOEING. 


pails  of  the  coldest  water — having  a  helper  ready  to  dry  the  saturated 
coat  with  all  speed;  then,  putting  on  a  bridle,  send  the  animal  out  for 
one  hour's  brisk  walking  exercise.     Order  the  man  who  holds  the  rein  to 


THE  BiaHT  AHD  THE  WRONG  WAT  OF  WALKING  A  GENTLEMAN'S  HORSE. 


walk  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour.  An  active  quadruped  can  travel 
much  faster,  so  there  can  be  no  excuse,  beyond  the  indulgence  of  his 
individual  laziness,  for  the  servant  creeping  along,  while  the  animal 
hangs  the  head  as  though  it  had  some  intention  of  laying  down. 

Much  injury  is  done  every  year  by  the  indolent  manner  in  which  idle 
lads  "walk  horses."  The  urchins  who  infest  the  streets  of  London  dis- 
play nimbleness  while  they  run  by  the  side  of  an  equestrian,  shouting  out 
occasionally,  "Hold  your  honor's  horse?"  No  sooner,  however,  have 
they  received  orders  to  walk  the  quadruped  about,  than  all  their  activity 
departs ;  they  creep  along  at  a  pace  which  only  just  renders  it  impossi- 
ble to  charge  them  with  standing  positively  stationary.  The  horse  may 
be  warm,  and  the  master  may  desire  to  prevent  the  body  from  chilling 
while  he  is  detained  by  business.  A  ready  affirmative  testifies  that  the 
command  to  move  briskly  has  been  comprehended ;  but  who  ever  beheld 
one  of  these  youthful  idlers,  when  in  possession  of  a  job,  stirring  even 
at  the  pace  of  a  lady's  ordinary  walk  ? 

However,  to  return  to  the  subject  which  at  present  is  more  especially 
under  the  reader's  consideration.  Gutting  is  often  combined  with  click- 
ing or  forging,  for  both  words  signify  the  same  act,  implying  the  noise 


SHOEING.  125 

made  by  striking  the  toe  or  quarter  of  the  hind  shoe  against  the  metal 
nailed  to  the  forefoot.     This  sound  is  not  generally  considered  pleasant 
by  those  who  hear  it ;  because,  besides  being  of  a  monotonous  character, 
it  announces  something  to  be  the  matter — 
either  that  the  horse  is  not  exactly  in  proper 
working  condition,  or  that  the  journey  has 
been  a  trifle  too  long  for  the  strength  of  the 
animal,   while  the  repeated  blows  endanger 
the  retention  of  a  fore  shoe. 

The  smith  generally  is  consulted  to  cure 
this  defect.  He,  however,  who  regards  the 
cause,  will  perceive  that  the  eradication  of 
the  evil  more  concerns  the  stable  than  the 
forge.  The  man  of  the  anvil,  nevertheless, 
will  put  on  a  novel  kind  of  shoe  which,  with  TioNT^^LrTVo'^cu™; 
all  the  confidence  of  ignorance,  he  shall  assert       ^'"'  °^  rendering  clicking  an 

~  '  IMPOSSIBILITY. 

must  stay  the  annoyance.    The  remedy  totally 

fails,  and  the  horse  is  led  to  another  forge.  The  new  blacksmith  picks 
up  the  foot,  and,  of  course,  is  cunning  enough  to  profit  by  what  he  there 
perceives.  A  different  shoe  is  tried  and  pronounced  an  absolute  remedy. 
Still,  this  disappoints ;  the  quadruped  seeks  some  other  shoemaker.  The 
next  bit  of  iron  leads  to  no  new  result.  The  clicking  and  the  cutting 
only  get  worse  during  these  numerous  trials ;  till  the  proprietor  becomes 
alarmed,  and  the  horse  is  thrown  up  to  undergo  regular  curative  treat- 
ment. 

The  rest  thus  obtained  often  effects  that  which  no  change  of  shoe 
could  accomplish.  The  smiths,  however,  are  only  to  be  blamed  for  pre- 
tending to  perform  impossibilities.  The  best  veterinary  surgeons  in  the 
kingdom  having  no  better  appliances,  could  have  labored  to  no  better 
result;  the  fact  being  that  the  kind  of  shoe  which  shall  answer  in  all 
such  cases,  does  not  and  cannot  exist.  That  article  has  the  best  chance 
which  is  adopted  when  the  owner  deems  it  necessary  to  lighten  the  work 
of  his  exhausted  servant.  Thus,  it  is  a  matter  of  uncertainty  which  shoe 
will  succeed.  The  first  smith  may,  or  perhaps  the  last  will,  prove  the 
very  clever  tradesman  in  his  employers'  estimation. 

The  next  engraving  is  a  type  of  the  shoe  commonly  employed  for  the 
alleviation  of  this  unpleasantness.  The  number  of  altered  shapes  and 
adapted  peculiarities  is  infinite ;  but  one  pervading  model  is  readily  de- 
tected through  all  such  modifications.  There  are,  however,  several  shoes 
claimed  as  inventions  by  different  smiths,  and  each  is  warranted  to  cure 
the  most  aggravated  case  of  cutting  or  of  clicking  on  the  first  applica- 
tion.    The  author  has  known  many  0£  these  to  fail ;  while  the  ordinary 


12G  SHOEING. 

shoe  often  answers  admirably,  so  the  horse  be  "up"  to  his  work,  and  not 

pushed  too  far  or  too  hard. 

The  fact  being,  that  flesh  and  blood,  if  overtasked,  will  flag,  and  no 

mechanical  contrivance  can  anticipate  the  natural  consequences  of  such 
exhaustion.  Clicking  and  cutting  are  not  local 
ailments;  therefore,  though  they  may  be  miti- 
gated, they  cannot  be  eradicated  by  any  local 
application.  They  doubtless  are  both  produced 
by  the  irregular  movement  of  the  feet ;  but  the 
motion  of  the  extremities  is  regulated  by  the 
condition  of  the  body.  If  the  reader  is  ever  on 
a  journey,  and  the  horse  he  is  guiding  chances 
to  chck,  the  bearing-rein  should  be  let  down — 
if  the  driver  sit  behind  harness  disgraced  by 
BHOE,MEANT^To^PREVENT       ^^^^  ^^  instrumcnt  of  folly.     Should  that  not 

succeed,  accept  the  warning:  pull  up  at  the 
next  tavern,  and  have  the  quadruped  taken  from  the  shafts,  rubbed  down 
and  rested. 

After  a  couple  of  hours  spent  by  the  traveler  in  the  coffee-room,  the 
journey  may  be  resumed,  though,  of  course,  a  longer  stay  will  rather 
benefit  than  injure  the  steed;  yet,  in  either  case,  the  subsequent  pace 
should  be  a  little  slackened;  and  if,  on  reaching  home,  the  work  is 
slightly  lightened,  the  noise  may  never  after  startle  the  "ear  of  pro- 
priety. " 

These  remedies  should  always  anticipate  the  setting  in  of  winter ;  be- 
cause wet  roads  necessitate  heavier  shoes,  by  which  a  severer  blow  can 
be  inflicted.  Nevertheless,  the  majority  of  horse  owners  are  extremely 
careless  about  the  necessities  of  the  seasons.  The  winters,  in  this 
climate,  are  more  generally  characterized  by  their  severity  than  remarka- 
ble for  their  mildness;  yet  the  frost  appears  always  to  take  horse  pro- 
prietors by  surprise.  Gentlemen,  to  be  sure,  during  this  season  allow 
their  dumb  servants  to  remain  within  the  stable ;  but  quadrupeds  which 
have  to  work  for  their  own  and  their  masters'  sustenance,  creatures  which 
have  to  labor  long  and  to  labor  hard,  slaves  which  toil  before  the  sun  has 
risen  and  never  cease  till  darkness  has  long  set  in,  are  never  prepared  for 
the  season  which  in  England  seems  a  certainty. 

A  horse  shoe  is,  however,  not  a  perishable  commodity,  nor  does  its 
store  necessitate  any  sacrifice.  Supposing  it  were  forged  in  the  summer, 
and  because  of  death  or  change,  it  should  not  suit  in  the  winter,  the 
smith,  at  such  a  period,  would  gladly  accept  its  return.  Many  forges  are 
comparatively  idle  during  the  warmer  months,  and  any  amount  of  winter 
shoes  would  be  most  thankfully  msuiufactured.    Then  no  one  will  employ 


SHOEING. 


127 


the  men ;  but  scarcely  does  a  severe  frost  or  the  snow  set  in,  than  people 
throng  into  the  forge,  all  clamorous  to  have  their  horses'  shoes  suited  to 
the  weather.  They  crowd  the  building;  they  even  stop  the  roadway. 
The  inside  is  full  of  men  and  horses — horses  and  men  cluster  deep  about 
the  entrance.  The  smiths  have  to  work  fast,  and  often  hang  over  the 
fires  for  three  nights  and  three  days,  without  looking  on  a  bed.  Beer  is 
\  abundant;  but  nature  cannot  labor  continuously  on  any  amount  of 
^stimulant,  and  the  men  ultimately  sink,  exhausted,  to  sleep  soundly  on  a 
heap  of  old  rusty  horse  shoes,  while  many  voices  are  shouting  and  many 
anvils  are  ringing  around  them. 


iHB  blacksmith's  forge  at  the  commencement  of  a  hard  frost. 


Such  scenes  might  be  prevented  and  the  work  much  better  done, 
would  owners  lay  in  a  stock  of  shoes,  properly  frosted,  against  the 
coming  winter.  The  labor  executed  during  the  leisure  portion  of  the 
year  would  not  be  hastily  performed  by  overtaxed  workmen ;  the  only 
extra  charge  such  a  provision  would  necessitate  is  the  interest  on  the 
shght  cost  of  the  articles  supplied :  though  very  often  even  such  an 
increase  of  expense  would  be  avoided,  since  it  is  by  no  means  uncom- 
mon for  the  smith's  account  to  remain  longer  than  six  months  before 
it  is  liquidated ;  while  the  confusion,  loss  of  time,  and  those  accidents 
which  often  occur,  would  be  banished. 

Frosting  or  roughing,  as  it  is  termed,  is  generally  performed  in  a 


128  SHOEING. 

coarse  and  careless  manner,  because  of  that  excessive  press  of  business 
amid  which  it  is  executed.  In  the  first  place,  the  shoe  is  hurriedly  torn 
from  the  hoof,  without  the  nails  being  properly  unclinched,  or  any  trouble 
being  taken  about  the  process.  Should  the  proprietor  expostulate,  he 
only  elicits  an  uncivil  reply ;  for  the  journey- 
man is  vexed  with  boisterous  solicitations  from 
a  crowd  of  impatient  customers,  and  irritable 
from  inordinate  fatigue.  The  shoe  is  then 
heated ;  after  which  the  free  extremities  are 
turned  downward  with  the  hammer,  and  the 
ends  are  hastily  beaten  into  a  rude,  sharp  edge. 
In  some  particular  cases,  the  toe  is  likewise 
favored  by  having  a  clip  forged ;  but  occasion- 
THE  SHOE  OF  THE  HOESE  AS      allv  thc  tOB  is  tumcd  downward,  forming  a 

FREQUENTLY  FE08TED.  -,    .     ■,  -,  „  m   .  mi  .    ,         .  , 

third  and  a  front  calkm.  The  article  is  thus 
rendered  too  short  for  the  foot,  and,  with  all  shape  destroyed,  is  nailed 
on  to  the  hoof  from  which  it  was  recently  removed ;  and  the  animal  is 
led  from  the  forge  wearing  shoes  supposed  to  be  properly  "frosted." 

The  rudeness  of  the  above  process  has  long  been  appreciated  by  the 
more  reflective  portion  of  the  public.  To  rectify  it,  various  innovations 
have  been  proposed.  The  meditated  improvements,  however,  have  all 
sank  into  disuse,  because  of  the  attendant  expense  or  of  the  necessitated 
exertion.  A  common  man  thinks  it  no  trouble  to  remain  through  the 
night  in  the  blacksmith's  forge,  waiting  for  his  turn,  at  an  expensive,  a 
ruinous,  and  an  inefficient  operation, — because  other  people  do  the  same. 
But  when  his  turn  arrives,  perhaps  a  new  set  of  shoes  is  spoiled ;  for  the 
ordinary  "roughing"  is  generally  of  no  service  after  the  third  day,  the 
sharp  calkins  being  by  that  time  ground  blunt. 

The  huge  weight  of  the  animal  grinds  the  edges  off  the  iron,  espe- 
cially upon  London  stones,  so  that  in  three  days  they  are  no  better  than 
ordinary  calkins,  and  cease  to  enable  the  quadruped  to  progress  on  ice. 
The  constant  removal  and  renewal  of  the  shoe — the  horn  each  time 
having  to  be  repierced  by  fresh  nails — seriously  injures  the  hoof,  so  that 
frequently  animals  are  forced  to  remain  idle  because  there  remains  no 
more  horn  on  which  to  fix  a  fastening.  Those  horses  which  escape  such 
a  fate,  nevertheless  carry  the  scars  which  commemorate  the  period  of 
frost  for  months  afterward ;  for  there'  is  no  horseman,  who  has  the  most 
trivial  experience  in  such  matters,  but  will  bitterly  complain  of  the 
damage  done  to  the  quadruped's  feet,  when  it  is  forced  to  work  through 
the  winter  season. 

Some  person,  many  years  ago,  proposed  to  use  nails  with  large  steel 
sharp-pointed  heads,  during  the  prevalence  of  frost.     This  plan  was 


SHOEING. 


129 


tried,  an4  signally  failed.  The  constant  renewal  of  the  nails  was  found 
ruinous  to  the  hoof;  for  the  strongest  of  the  projecting  heads  was  unable 
to  resist  the  grinding  action  of  a  horse's  foot  longer  than  twenty-four 
hours.  Then,  many  of  the  heads  broke  off  while  being  driven,  and  not 
a  few  were  fixed  in  a  damaged  condition,  owing  to  the  blows  received 
from  the  heavy  hammer  of  the  smith. 


A  SHOE,  INTENDED  TO  ENABLE  A  HORSE  TO  WORK 
IN  FROST,  WHICH  IS  FIXED  ON  TO  THE  FOOT 
■WITH  SHARP  HEADED  AND  PROJECTING  NAILS. 


A  SHOE,  ■WITH  POINTS,  WHICH  SCREW  ON  AND 
OFF,  DESIGNED  TO  FIT  A  HORSE  FOE  WORK 
DURING   FROSTY  WEATHER. 


Mr.  White,  however,  proposed  a  plan  concerning  the  utility  of  which 
Mr.  Lupton,  a  living  and  a  most  intelligent  writer,  bears  favorable  evi- 
dence. Large  holes,  containing  the  thread  of  a  female  screw,  are  made 
through  the  heels  of  the  winter  shoes,  and  several  steel  points,  manufac- 
tured with  a  male  screw,  adapted  to  the  dimansions  of  the  holes  just 
mentioned.  Whenever  frost  coats  the  roads  with  ice,  all  that  is  requisite 
a  boy  might  perform.  The  hole  in  the  shoe  has  to  be  cleared  out,  and 
afterward,  with  an  instrument  known  as  "a  spanner,"  one  of  the  points, 
before  alluded  to,  is  screwed  into  the  opening.  When  these  points  are 
worn  down,  they  are  easily  renewed ;  thus  the  terrors  of  the  frost  are 
overcome  without  exjjosing  the  horse  for  hours  to  the  chilly  air,  or 
yourself  submitting  to  the  incivilities  of  the  forge. 

On  the  above  subject,  the  following  is  extracted  from  the  excellent 
weekly  newspaper  The  Field,  and  is  here  quoted  because  of  the  informa- 
tion it  affords,  and  because  of  the  lucid  manner  in  which  it  explains  the 
measures  necessary  to  be  pursued. 

"About  this  time  last  season  we  inserted  in  The  Field  an  account  of 
the  plan  of  frosting  horse  shoes,  recommended  more  than  fifty  years  ago 
by  Mr.  White,  veterinary  surgeon,  of  Exeter,  Since  then,  nearly  one 
thousand  sets  of  the  sharp  cogs  used  for  this  purpose  have  been  sold  by 

9 


130 


SHOEING. 


tlie  engineer  to  whom  we  intrusted  the  task  of  making  them ;  and  the 
plan  appears  to  give  unquaUfied  satisfaction.  At  the  suggestion  of 
several  correspondents  who  have  not  seen  our  former  article,  we  are 
induced  to  repeat  the  notice,  with  the  addition  of  an  engraving  repre- 
senting the  tools  necessary;  these  being  a  drill  of  the  required  size, 
which  every  smith  possesses,  and  with  which  a  hole  is  drilled  in  the 
heel  of  each  shoe,  and,  if  needed,  in  the  toe  also.  These  holes  are  then 
converted  into  female  screws  by  means  of  two  taps,  (figs.  1  and  2,)  one 


FIG.  4 


nc.  I 


being  slightly  smaller  than  the  other,  so  as  to  make  a  perfect  feniale 
screw  by  using  first  the  smaller  one  and  then  the  larger.  Besides  these, 
a  spanner  (fig.  3)  is  required  to  fix  on  the  cog  firmly;  and  the  cogs 
themselves  (fig.  4)  should  be  made  by  a  competent  smith.  These  may 
all  be  obtained  of  S.  M(vris,  50  Rathbone  Place,  Oxford  Street,  London, 
the  price  of  the  tools  being  six  shillings,  and  of  the  cogs,  three  shillings 
per  dozen.  With  this  outlay,  any  shoeing  smith  can  fit  a  set  of  shoes 
by  drilling  the  heels,  (and  the  toes,  if  the  roads  are  very  slippery,  but 
for  ordinary  work  the  cogs  in  the  heels  are  quite  sufl&cient,)  tapping 
them  with  the  taps  furnished  to  him,  after  which  they  are  nailed  on ; 
and  the  horse  so  shod  can  in  five  minutes  be  roughed  by  his  groom,  by 
screwing  a  cog  in  each  hole,  with  the  aid  of  the  spanner.  It  often  hap- 
pens that  the  roads  become  frozen  after  a  horse  leaves  home ;  but  if  the 
groom  has  the  spanner  and  cogs  in  his  pocket,  he  is  independent  of  the 
smith,  and  neither  the  delay  caused  by  'roughing,'  nor  the  danger  from 
its  omission,  is  incurred.  A  specimen  shoe,  properly  fitted,  may  be  seen 
at  the  office  of  The  Field:'— December  20,  1861. 

The  plan  is  excellent,  but  it  requires  a  little  forethought  and  a  slight 
expenditure  of  ready  cash.  The  tools  for  the  tapping,  or  making  the 
female  screw  holes,  and  for  the  points,  Mr.  Lupton  obtains  from  Bir- 


SHOEING. 


\ 


131 


mmghani ;  the  former  at  a  cost  of  five  shillings — the  last  for  one  penny 
or  three  half  pence  each.  Tapping  a  set  of  shoes  is  by  the  smith  charged 
fourpence ;  and  for  so  small  an  outlay  the  gentleman  just  named  escapes 
the  unpleasantness  and  the  annoyance  which  are  inseparable  from  the 
old  method  of  "roughing"  horses  during  frosty  weather. 


A  FOOT  PEOPEELT  SHOD,  AND  A  FOOT  WHICH  HAS  BEEN  CRUELLY  RASPED,  10  MAKE  THE  HOOF  SUIT  A 
SHOE  THAT  WAS  TOO  SMALL  FOR  IT. 


The  author  believes  he  has  now  touched  upon  all  the  necessary  heads 
connected  with  the  subject  he  is  at  present  considering ;  still  this  article 
cannot  be  closed  without  apprising  the  reader  of  a  practice  not  unusual 
in  some  forges,  but  never  indulged  in  by  the  respectable  tradesman. 
This  is,  paring  and  rasping  the  horse's  foot  till  it  be  small  enough  to  fit 
the  shoe,  rather  than  kindle  a  fire  and  forge  a  new  set  which  shall  suit 
the  feet  of  the  animal.  It  may  to  some  readers  seem  like  a  jest,  to  write 
seriously  about  the  horse's  shoes  being  too  tight;  but  it  is,  indeed,  no 
joke  to  the  quadruped  which  has  to  move  in  such  articles.  The  walk  is 
strange,  as  though  the  poor  creature  were  trying  to  progress,  but  could 
obtain  no  bearing  for  its  tread.  The  legs  are  all  abroad,  and  the  hoofs 
no  sooner  touch  the  ground  than  they  are  snatched  up  again.  The  head 
is  carried  high,  and  the  countenance  denotes  sufi'ering.  It  is  months 
before  the  horn  is  restored  to  its  normal  condition.  The  animal  must, 
during  this  period,  remain  idle  in  the  stable ;  and,  that  the  reader  may 
be  enabled  to  recognize  the  foot,  under  such  circumstances,  the  last  illus- 
tration was  introduced. 

It  is  trusted  that  whoever  may  possess  an  animal  which  is  thus 
treated,  will,  in  the  first  instance,  secure  the  evidence  as  to  fact  from 
three  or  four  of  the  principal  veterinary  surgeons ;  then  enforce,  with  its 
utmost  rigor,  the  law  against  the  individual  who  has  knowingly  been 
guilty  of  this  most  heartless  attempt  at  a  positive  fraud. 

The  horse  is  so  entirely  given  into  the  hands  of  man,  and  is  so  sub- 


132  SHOEING. 

missive  to  Iiis  treatment,  that  the  active  supervision  of  its  master  is 
doubly  necessary  for  its  protection.  While  the  present  mode  of  nailing 
is  continued,  every  proprietor  willfully  exposes  his  quadruped  to  danger 
who  sends  the  creature  to  be  shod.  Any  journeyman  may,  therefore, 
be  pardoned  if,  occasionally,  the  foot  be  pricked ;  but  the  pains  and  the 
labor  required  to  adjust  a  hoof  to  a  shoe  of  small  dimensions  are  abso- 
lute proof  of  evil  design,  and  are  irrefutable  testimony  which  should 
forbid  the  remotest  thought  of  leniency  toward  the  offender. 


CHAPTER  lY. 

THE  TEETH — THEIR    NATURAL  GROWTH,  AND   THE  ABUSES  TO  WHICH 
THEY  ARE   LIABLE. 

"  No  legs,  no  horse,"  is,  with  a  particular  class,  a  very  familiar  phrase. 
This  assertion,  becoming  a  maxim,  has  apparently  directed  attention  in 
a  special  manner  to  the  lower  extremities.  All  purchasers  are  particular 
about  the  legs  and  feet  of  an  animal ;  but  the  teeth  are  merely  glanced 
at,  to  ascertain  the  age.  Such  a  custom  is  evidently  wrong ;  since  it 
would  be  as  true  of  the  organs  of  mastication  as  it  is  concerning  those 
of  locomotion  should  the  horsemen  also  say,  "No  teeth,  no  horse."  For 
the  creature  that  is  valuable  only  on  account  of  its  labor,  cannot  be  equal 
to  its  toil  if  it  do  not  consume  a  fitting  quantity  of  sustenance.  Though 
the  majority  combine,  as  it  were,  to  pass  the  teeth  over  without  notice 
when  inspecting  the  horse,  nevertheless  many  owners  seem  to  appreciate 
the  value  of  these  organs  to  the  welfare  of  the  quadruped,  it  being  not 
uncommon  to  hear  horse  proprietors  complain,  "the  beast  cannot  eat 
sufficient  for  the  demand  which  is  daily  made  upon  its  capabilities." 

The  animal  was  sent  on  this  earth  provided  with  every  apparatus 
necessary  to  crop,  to  comminute,  and  to  digest  the  green  verdure  of  the 
earth.  Man  has  seized  on  and  domesticated  the  body,  which  is  exqui- 
sitely adapted  only  for  special  purposes.  He  works  it  while  in  its 
infancy,  or  forces  it  to  labor  until  the  sight  is  lost  and  the  limbs  are 
crippled.  To  fit  the  creature  for  his  uses,  he  changes  the  character  of 
its  food.  Artificially -prepared  oats  and  hay,  with  various  condiments, 
are  used  to  stimulate  the  spirit.  No  one  inquires  whether  such  a  diet  is 
the  fitting  support  of  the  animal.  But  when  the  energy  lags,  beans, 
beer,  etc.  are  resorted  to  as  restoratives  for  exhaustion.  The  quadruped, 
thus  treated,  men  have  agreed  shall  be  aged  by  the  eighth  year ;  but  the 
author  has  seen  very  old  horses  which  had  not  attained  the  fifth  birth- 
day. Opinion  seems  to  be  based  upon  the  circumstance  that,  by  the 
time  recognized  as  "aged"  in  the  equine  species,  the  indications  of  the 
teeth  do  no  more  than  tempt  a  guess.  The  cessation  of  dental  growth, 
however,  does  not  announce  maturity  to  be  consummated ;  but  man 
appeals  to  the  teeth  as  corroborative  of  his  judgment,  without  asking 

(133) 


184  TEETH. 

himself  whether  those  parts  have  been  doomed  to  unnatural  wear,  and 
therefore  may  not  have  assumed  an  unnatural  aspect. 

The  author  has  not  lately  seen  a  specimen  of  bishoped  teeth.  In 
Ireland,  such  sights  obtrude  themselves  at  every  horse  fair.  The  major- 
ity of  horses  are,  in  that  country,  sold  cheap,  most  of  the  purchasers 
being  clothed  in  rags.  It  is  a  sad  feature  in  the  practices  of  imposition, 
that  it  is  always  violently  rampant  where  there  is  the  least  certainty  of 
reward. 

To  fully  explain  in  what  bishoping  consists,  it  is  necessary  to  inform 
the  reader  that  on  the  nipping  or  cutting  surfaces  of  the  young  horse's 
front  teeth  there  mostly  are  dark  indentations  or  deep  hollows.  Below 
is  presented  an  enlarged  engraving  of  this  portion  of  a  tooth,  taken  from 
the  head  of  that  which  was  a  three-year  old  colt.  The  dark  spot  in  the 
middle  of  the  diagram  represents  the  situation  of  the  hollow  into  which 
the  food  naturally  falls,  rendering  the  interior  of  the  cavity  of  a  deep 
color  approaching  to  blackness.  Bishoping  supposes  the  cavity  always 
to  be  present ;  invariably  to  be  of  one  form,  and  in  every  instance  to 
sink  to  the  like  depth,  which  suppositions  are  contrary  to  fact ;  but  even 
were  such  rules  observed  by  nature,  there  are  still  means  by  which  the 
cheat  may  be  detected.  Immediately  around  the  dark-colored  space  is 
developed  a  fine  line  of  enamel,  which  is  always  white.  The  rogues 
can  counterfeit  the  black  mark,  but  they  cannot  imitate  the  crystalline 
white  bordering  which  surrounds  the  opening.  The  presence  or  absence 
of  this  is  of  more  importance,  therefore,  than  the  existence  of  a  black 
indentation.  Again,  those  who  tamper  with  the  teeth  cannot  change 
the  shape  of  the  surface  on  which  they  work.  The  young  tooth  is  wide 
from  side  to  side,  and  narrow  from  the  front  to  the  backward  margin. 
He  who  ventures  where  bishoped  horses  are  to  be  found,  should  familiar- 
ize his  eye  with  the  shape  of  the  youthful  organ. 


THREE  TEARS  OLD.  TWELVE   TEARS  OLD. 

An  enlarged  view  of  the  difference  in  form  and  in  aspect  which  separates  the  table  of  a  twelve-year 
old  bishoped  nipper  from  the  same  part  in  the  three-year  old  colt. 

In  contrast  with  the  natural  tooth,  the  reader  is  also  presented  with 
an  exaggerated  sketch  taken  from  an  organ  which  had  been  tampered 
with,  and  which  was  extracted  from  the  head  of  an  animal  that  had  at 


TEETH. 


135 


least  attained  its  twelfth  year.  The  natural  size  has  been  considerably 
enlarged,  as  the  author  thereby  hoped  to  render  the  contrast  the  more 
obvious.  This  last  member,  it  will  be  remarked,  has  parted  with  its 
juvenile  width,  or  is  kow  characterized  by  depth  and  angularity.  The 
central  cavity,  it  will  also  be  observed,  bears  small  resemblance  to  the 
natural  depression  which  it  is  meant  to  imitate.  The  color,  moreover, 
is  quite  black,  and  of  an  even  tint  throughout,  while  the  presence  of  the 
girding  line  of  enamel  cannot  be  detected. 

The  difference,  however,  is  more  striking,  when  two  full  rows  of  teeth 
are  placed  in  contrast  one  with  the  other,  after  the  manner  in  which  they 
are  displayed  in  the  next  engraving.  In  the  young  mouth,  the  incisors 
are  arranged  in  a  gracefully  curved  line ;  the  posterior  margins  of  the 
organ  present  little  peculiarity.  In  the  aged  teeth,  the  prominent 
center  of  these  has  retracted,  while  all  idea  of  grace  in  the  order  of  their 
disposal  has  departed.  Each  member  in  the  old  jaw  evinces  an  inclina- 
tion to  become  equally  prominent,  and  the  posterior  borders  evince  an 
obvious  angularity. 


DIAGRAM,  SHOWING   THE   TABLES    OF    A    NATITKAL    ROW    OF    FIVIi-TEAR    OLD    TEETH. 


THE    TABLES   OF   THE    BI8H0PED  TEETH  WHICH   BELONG   TO   AN  ANIMAL   SIXTEEN   YEARS   OLD. 


Then,  if  the  marks  in  each  are  examined,  the  central  cavities  in  the 
"bishoped  have  jagged  edges ;  while  from  these  indentations  arise  certain 
eccentric  lines,  which  invariably  run  toward  the  circumference.  Such 
lines  evidently  were  not  made  with  any  design.  They  were  caused 
either  by  the  inaptness  of  the  operator,  the  coarseness  of  the  tool  with 
which  he  worked,  or  they  were  provoked  by  the  natural  struggles  of  the 
animal  that  was  subjected  to  a  merciless  operation.  The  marks,  more- 
over, are  of  a  deep-black  color^,  while  the  lines  are  remarkable  for  some- 
times being  of  a  lighter  hue  than  the  surface  on  which  they  repose. 


136 


TEETH. 


There  are,  however,  other  signs  which  faithfully  denote  the  age  of  the 
quadruped.  The  permanent  incisors,  when  first  cut,  are  almost  perpen- 
dicular ;  but  as  years  accumulate,  these  organs  assume  a  more  horizontal 
direction.  The  tushes  also,  when  they  first  appear  in  the  mouth,  point 
forward.  These  members,  after  a  time,  become  straight;  but  as  age 
progresses,  they  ultimately  lean  decidedly  outward  and  at  length  incline 
backward.  Besides  these  well-marked  indications,  from  the  disposition 
of  the  front  nippers  to  arrange  themselves  in  a  line,  only  two  can  be  seen 
in  old  quadrupeds  when  the  mouth  is  viewed  from  the  side ;  while  the 
membrane  covering  the  gums  altogether  loses  its  fleshy  hue,  becoming 
evidently  thick,  yellow,  loose  and  baggy. 


THE   JAW  OP    A   HORSE  'WHICH  WAS   THIETT  TEARS   OF   AGE. 


Such  marked  signs  may,  by  many  persons,  be  esteemed  sufficient 
protection ;  but  there  are  yet  additional  characteristics  with  which  all 
who  venture  to  purchase  horses  of  unknown  sellers  should  be  acquainted. 
The  general  indications  of  senility  are  strongly  impressed  both  upon 
man  and  upon  horse;  though  the  teeth  are  usually  appealed  to,  the 
appearance  of  the  mouth  should  not  be  absolutely  and  solely  regarded. 
A  white  horse  is  rarely  young,  any  more  than  a  white-haired  man  is,  as 
a  rule,  in  the  possession  of  youth.  Then,  as  the  juvenile  period  ceases, 
absorption  begins  to  operate.  Deposit  no  longer  takes  place ;  but  with 
senility  a  rapid  wasting  ensues ;  both  bones  and  flesh  suffer  under  this 
new  action. 

The  branches  of  the  colt's  lower  jaw  are  wide  apart^  and  in  the  cavity 
thus  formed  the  tongue  reposes.  This  space  is  called  the  "channel." 
The  lower  margins,  also,  of  the  inferior  maxillse  are  in  the  colt  full, 
round,  and  prominent.  When  age  is  present,  the  edges  retract,  the 
channel  narrows,  while  the  lower  margins  of  the  bones  appear  to  the 


TEETH. 


13T 


fingers  of  the  examiner,  accustomed  to  handle  young  horses,  to  be  posi- 
tively sharp. 


A   YOUNG  HORSE.  AN  OLI)  HORSE. 

Comparative  difference  in  the  channels  or  in  the  spaces  between  the  branches  of  the  lower  jaws. 

When  a  person  having  a  horse  to  sell  talks  boastfully  of  all  "the 
marks  "  being  present  in  the  mouth,  avoid  him  as  a  suspicious  individual. 
Honest  men  know,  or  at  least  all  honest  men  should  by  this  time  be  aware, 
that  there  is  no  dependence  to  be  placed  in  these  so-called  "marks ;"  there- 
fore they  do  not  strive  to  direct  attention  toward  fallacious  indications. 


SHOWING   THE   HORSE'S  TEETH. 


By  simply  parting  the  lips  of  the  animal,  a  judge  can  see  everything 
which  he  cares  to  behold.  The  kind  of  teeth  present  are  easily  recog- 
nized ;  or  when  such  signs  declare  the  animal  to  be  aged,  the  position  of 
the  teeth,  the  condition  of  the  bones,  and  the  general  aspect  enable  him 
to  guess  as  to  a  probability.  Therefore,  when  a  gentleman  requests  to 
Bee  the  mouth,  the  horse  dealer,  unless  specially  commanded  to  do  so,  no 
longer  endeavors  to  tug  the  jaws  asunder,  a  proceeding  which,  when 
conducted  hastily,  is  apt  to  provoke  resistance ;  but  the  groom  is  ordered 
i:*  merely  separate  the  lips,  a  measure  to  which  most  animals  will  com- 
placently submit. 


138 


TEETH. 


Should  the  person  to  whom  the  teeth  are  exhibited,  by  an  evident 
lack  .of  recognition  declare  his  ignorance  of  their  announcement,  the 
honest  dealer  may  slyly  quiz  his  patron's  want  of  knowledge^  but 
assuredly  he  will  not  endeavor  to  take  advantage  of  it.  The  author  of 
the  present  volume  has  found  the  dealers  in  horse  flesh  to  be  quite  as 
honest  as,  if  not  more  honest  than,  traders  in  less  perishable  commodi- 
ties. There  are  certain  blackguards  who  profess  to  be  dealers  in  horses, 
but  who  have  no  fixed  place  of  abode  or  of  business.  So  also  there  are 
scamps  who  style  themselves  traveling  jewelers  and  itinerant  book- 
sellers ;  but  the  transactions  of  neither  class  of  rogues  (he  whose  stock 
in  trade  consists  of  a  whip,  or  they  whose  most  valuable  possession  is 
the  mahogany  box  or  the  specimen  number  which  is  carried  from  house 
to  house)  can  be  taken  as  evidence  against  the  more  respectable  members 
of  the  calling  to  which  all  will  assume  to  belong.  A  gentleman,  igno- 
rant of  any  acquaintance  with  jockey-ship,  can  walk  with  perfect  safety 
into  the  yard  of  any  respectable  dealer ;  look  at  the  animals  which  are 
for  sale,  and  walk  out  again,  without  encountering  any  undue  solicitation 
to  purchase.  How  many  shops  are  there  in  London,  in  which  a  person, 
equally  uninformed,  could  perform  the  like  manoeuvre  ? 

When  this  is  written,  it  is  not  meant  to  imply  that  a  horse  dealer 
keeps  all  his  stock  open  to  public  inspection.  On  the  contrary,  in  most 
respectable  yards  there  are  certain  snuggeries  which  conceal  the  more 
choice  articles.  The  pick  of  these  are  not  even  open  to  every  purchaser 
who  can  pay  the  price.  ISTo  1  Horse  and  picture  dealers  are  alike  in  one 
characteristic  trait :  each  has  a  pride  in  the  article  he  sells.  The  first 
individual  will  allow  his  dinner  to  grow  cold,  while  he  remains  gloating 
over  the  points  and  beauties  of  some  fresh  acquisition.  "How  it  would 
look  carrying  Her  Majesty  I"  The  image  amuses  his  fancy  I  "What  a 
spanker  to  hold  a  first  place  in  the  Beaufort  hunt  1"  He  warms  with  the 
idea !  "  What  a  charger  it  would  make  for  Cambridge  at  a  Hyde  Park 
Review !"  He  is  in  ecstasies  at  the  thought !  He  cannot  possibly  decide 
what  so  much  perfection  is  fit  for.  He  can  never  consent  to  treat  such 
loveliness  as  a  mere  chattel, — a  thing  to  be  sold  and  then  to  be  enveloped 
in  obscurity.  The  animal  must  not  be  parted  with  to  any  unknown 
individual  I  The  feeling  common  to  his  order  forbids  him  to  exhibit  the 
object  of  his  pride  to  general  inspection.  But  he  might  dispose  of  it, 
even  at  a  sacrifice,  were  he  convinced  it  would  occupy  such  a  position  as 
he  esteems  it  is  fitted  to  adorn.  He  then  could  point  to  the  animal  and 
vaunt  that  it  came  from  his  yard.  Honor,  fame,  and  profit  must  accrue 
to  him  who  could  refer  to  such  exalted  dealings ; — therefore  there  is  a 
strong  sense  of  self  lurking  under  that  which  at  first  glance  appears  to 
be  mere  Quixotic  denial  of  self. 


TEETH. 


139 


At  the  same  time,  if  all  respectable  dealers  are  above  positive  imposi 
tion,  it  is  not  every  dealer  who  will  prevent  a  self-conceited  novice  from 
imposing  upon  himself.  Such  a  person,  acting  upon  his  own  judgment 
may  be  allowed  to  purchase  the  worst  screw  which  some  yard  contains, 
at  the  money  that  should  procure  a  first-rate  animal.  Even  then,  the 
dealer  has  an  escape,  which  every  form  of  worldly  honesty  will  not  pro- 
vide. The  quadruped,  if  not  approved  of,  can  be  exchanged  within  the 
fortnight  following  the  transaction.  To  be  sure,  such  exchanges  gen- 
erally advantage  only  one  party :  but  a  tradesman  must  live ;  he  cannot 
be  expected  to  waste  hours  showing  his  stock  and  chattering  with  fools 
for  no  business  purpose  1 

However,  to  protect  the  reader  from  every  chance  of  imposition,  so 
far  as  the  age  of  the  horse  may  be  concerned,  let  him  attentively  accom- 
pany the  author  through  the  following  pages ;  let  him  also  particularly 
notice  the  engravings  with  which  the  text  is  illustrated. 

A  foal  at  birth  has  three  molars  or  grinding  teeth,  just  through  the 
gums,  upon  both  sides  of  the  upper  and  of  the  lower  jaws.  The  little 
animal,  however,  generally  displays  no  incisors  or  front  teeth ;  but  the 
gums  are  inflamed  and  evidently  upon  the  eve  of  bursting.  The  molars 
or  grinders  are,  as  yet,  unflattened  or  have  not  been  rendered  smooth  by 
attrition.  The  lower  jaw,  moreover,  when  the  inferior  margin  is  felt, 
appears  to  be  very  thick,  blunt,  and  round. 


THE  FOAL'S  JAW  AT  BIRTH. 


A  fortnight  has  rarely  elapsed  before  the  membrane  ruptures,  and  two 
pairs  of  front,  very  white  teeth  begin  to  appear  in  the  mouth.  At  first, 
these  new  members  look  disproportionately  large  to  their  tiny  abiding- 
place  ;  and  when  contrasted  with  the  reddened  gums  at  their  base,  they 
have  that  pretty,  pearly  aspect  which  is  the  common  characteristic  of 
the  milk  teeth  in  most  animals.  They  must  occasion  pain  to  the  foal  at 
this  period :  the  appearance  of  the  little  mouth  affords  sufl&cient  evidence 


140 


TEETH. 


of  that  fact ;  but  it  is  astonishing  how  meeklj  these  beautiful  creatures 
will  submit  to  our  examinations  of  their  teeth, — as  though  they  came 
into  the  world  possessed  of  all  confidence  in  man's  intentions  and  with 
every  dependence  upon  his  sympathy.  Some  of  the  diminutive  strangers 
seem  even  to  derive  pleasure  from  their  irritable  gums  being  inspected. 
They  behave  almost  as  though  they  recognized  their  future  master  and 
felt  flattered  by  his  notice.  Alas !  that  brutality  should  ever  repel  the 
trustfulness  of  nature,  and  that  experience  should  instruct  most  of  our 
mute  fellow-beings  to  regard  mankind  as  enemies. 


THE  INCISORS  AT  TWO  TTEEKS  OLD. 


THE   INCISORS  AT  SIX   WEEKS   OU). 


It  is  not  until  another  month  has  passed,  or  until  the  foal  is  six  weeks 
old,  that  more  teeth  appear.  By  that  time,  much  of  the  swelling  present 
on  the  gums  of  the  newly-born  animal  has  softened  down,  though  all 
trace  of  it  cannot  be  said  to  have  entirely  departed.  The  membrane,  as 
time  progresses,  will  have  to  resign  much  of  its  scarlet  hue.  In  the  brief 
period,  however,  which  has  elapsed  since  the  former  teeth  were  gazed  at, 
the  growth  has  been  such  that  the  sense  of  very  disproportionate  size  no 
longer  remains.  The  two  front  teeth  are  now  fully  up,  and  these  appear 
almost  of  proportions  suited  to  the  mouth  which  they  adorn.  But  when 
the  two  pairs  of  lateral  incisors  first  make  their  appearance,  it  is  in  such 
a  shape  as  can  imply  no  assurance  of  their  future  orm.  They  resemble 
the  corner  nippers,  and  do  not  suggest  the  smallest  likeness  to  the  lateral 
incisors  which  they  will  ultimately  become. 

The  foal,  during  the  first  six  weeks  of  its  existence,  does  not  learn  to 
appreciate,  at  its  just  value,  that  which  poets  have  termed  "the  milk  of 
human  kindness. "  A  little  shyness,  however,  exhibited  about  this  period 
shows  that  doubt  has  partially  shaken  the  confidence  with  which  the 
appointed  master  was  formerly  welcomed.  But  the  little  being  is  still 
docile ;  it  does  not  altogether  avoid  mankind.  It  will  yet  accept  their 
caresses,  permit  patiently  their  mercenary  inspections,  acting  as  though 
its  mild  disposition,  the  natural  inheritance  of  its  tribe,  derivert  actual 


TEETH.  141 

pleasure  and  amusement  by  submitting  to  the  will  of  him  whom  it  must 
shortly  recognize  as  an  earthly  tyrant. 

Why  should  not  the  primary  lessons  of  domestication  be  now  gently 
commenced,  when  the  spirit  requires  not  to  be  subdued  and  the  temper 
needs  not  to  be  conquered  ?  Is  there  not  unnecessary  cruelty  in  the  plan 
which  is  commonly  adopted?  The  young  life  is  allowed  to  roam  at 
large  till  the  time  arrives  when  man  conceives  the  colt  ought  to  be 
"broken  in.'''  There  is  no  gradual  instruction;  no  endeavor  to  coax  or 
to  soothe  by  a  display  of  gentleness.  Obedience  is  remorselessly  wrenched 
out  of  the  being.  Harshness  naturally  engenders  resistance;  but  in- 
creased severity  is  employed,  till  the  willing  creature  is  literally  con- 
quered and  its  spirit  "broken."  This  is  done  to  an  animal  which  is  born 
anxious  to  please  its  superior.  Let  the  reader  ponder  over  this  custom, 
and  then  reflect  upon  the  retentive  memory  of  the  subjected  race.  They 
must  remember — they  have  no  ability  to  forget.  Consider  the  custom, 
and  also  regard  the  nature  upon  which  that  custom  operates ;  then  say 
whether  the  breeder  goes  the  proper  way  to  develop  that  sweetness  of 
temper  and  that  gentleness  of  disposition  which  increase  the  value  of 
equine  property. 

But,  to  return  to  the  subject  of  the  present  paper.  There  is  now  a 
long  pause  before  more  teeth  appear  in  the  mouth.  The  little  one,  in 
the  mean  time,  lives  chiefly  upon  suction,  and  runs,  during  the  period  of 
perfect  happiness,  free  by  its  mother's  side.  Upon  the  completion  of  the 
first  month,  seldom  earlier,  it  may  be  observed  to  lower  the  head  and 
nip  the  young  blades  of  the  shooting  grass.  From  the  third  month, 
however,  the  habit  becomes  more  frequent,  until,  by  the  advent  of  the 
sixth  month,  the  grinders  will  be  worn  quite  flat ;  or,  having  lost  their 
pointed  and  jagged  prominences,  will,  by  the  wear  of  constant  mastica- 
tion, have  been  reduced  to  the  state  which  is  suited  to  their  function. 


THE  FRONT   TEETH   AT   NINE   MONTHS   OLB. 


The  corner  incisors  come  into  the  mouth  about  the  ninth  month,  the 
four  pair  of  nippers,  which  have  been  already  traced,  being  at  this  time 
fully  developed.     Above  is  a  view  of  the  foal's  teeth,  as  these  are  ex- 


142 


TEETH. 


hibited  at  the  period  named.  The  reader  will  remark  that  the  corner 
incisors,  which  are  depicted  as  through  the  gums,  do  not  yet  meet,  though 
these  organs  point  toward  each  other ;  neither  has  the  membrane  of  the 
mouth  at  this  time  entirely  lost  the  deepened  hue  of  infancy. 

From  this  date,  however,  the  gums  gradually  become  pale,  till,  by  the 
completion  of  the  first  year,  the  membrane  has  nearly  assumed  that  com- 
plexion which  will  endure  throughout  the  earlier  period  of  existence. 
All  the  incisors  are,  by  the  first  birthday,  well  up.  The  masticatory 
agent,  although  consolidated,  has  not,  when  the  quadruped  is  one  year 
old,  entirely  lost  the  roundness  and  bluntness  of  its  inferior  margin,  for 
which  the  jaw  at  birth  was  peculiarly  remarkable. 

This  fullness  of  the  bone  is  caused  by  all  the  grinding  teeth  which  are 
in  the  mouth  when  the  foal  first  sees  the  light  being  of  a  temporary  char- 
acter; the  enlargement  is  consequent  upon  the  jaw,  therefore,  having  to 
contain  and  to  mature  the  long  permanent  grinders  which,  within  the 
substance  of  the  bone,  are  growing  beneath  the  temporary  molars.  To 
contain  and  to  allow  the  large  uncut  teeth  to  become  developed,  before 
appearing  above  the  gums,  causes  the  small  jaw  of  a  diminutive  foal  to 
be  disproportionately  thick,  especially  when  this  part  is  compared  with 
the  same  structure  in  an  aged  horse;  but  the  mind  is  reconciled  to  its 
apparent  clumsiness  when  apprised  of  the  uses  to  which  the  organ  is 
subservient. 


THE  JAW  OP  A  ONE-TEAR  OLD. 


At  one  year  old,  the  first  permanent  tooth  appears  in  the  head.  This 
is  the  fourth  molar,  or  that  which  is  represented  as  the  most  backward 
grinder  in  the  appended  engraving.  The  reader  will  not  fail  to  remark 
the  greater  length  which  the  jaw-bone  presents  at  one  year  old.  The 
additional  extent  also  in  the  opposite  direction  cannot  otherwise  than  be 
observed.     This  increase  of  size  was  necessitated  to  cover  the  increasing 


TEETH. 


143 


size  of  the  recent  molar ;  also,  to  afford  room  for  the  partial  development 
of  two  other  grinders,  which,  as  age  progresses,  will  appear  behind  that 
which  is  now  the  last  tooth. 

About  this  time,  frequently  at  birth,  little  nodules  of  bone,  without 
fangs,  merely  attached  to  the  gums,  appear  in  front  of  each  row  of  grind- 
ers. These  are  vulgarly  denominated  "Wolves'  Teeth,"  and  were  once 
held  to  be  of  vast  importance.  At  present,  however,  they  are  recog- 
nized as  the  simple  representatives  of  those  organs  which  in  other  ani- 
mals fas  in  man)  render  the  teeth  a  continuous  or  unbroken  curve. 
They  are,  by  experience,  found  to  be  harmless.  It  is  idle  to  remove 
these  organs,  especially  as  they  generally  disappear  with  the  shedding 
of  those  members  facing  which  they  are  located. 

Although  by  this  period  the  foal  has  lost  the  furzy  tail,  nevertheless 
it  has  not  assumed  the  aspect  of  the  horse.  Its  face  and  its  back  want 
length ;  its  trunk  needs  bulk ;  its  legs  are  much  too  long ;  and  no  one  in 
his  senses  should,  for  an  instant,  imagine  it  could  be  a  full-grown  speci- 
men of  its  race.  Indeed,  the  author  would  not  mention  such  a  possi- 
bility, did  he  not  know  a  single  instance  where  an  error  of  this  nature 
was  actually  perpetrated  with  a  creature  of  the  equine  order.  A  cockney 
gentleman  took  up  his  residence,  a  few  years  ago,  in  one  of  the  channel 
islands,  and  wishing  to  procure  some  safe  animal  for  the  amusement  of 
his  children,  the  simple  Londoner  actually  purchased  and  worked  a  little 
donkey,  barely  one  year  old,  in  his  ignorance  mistaking  the  animal  for 
an  ass  which  had  attained  its  maturity.  That  no  reader  of  the  present 
volume  may  commit  so  cruel  a  blunder,  the  portrait  of  a  horse,  as  it 
appears  at  the  first  year  of  its  age,  is  presented  below. 


ABOUT  ONE  TEAR  OLD. 


The  changes  in  the  teeth,  after  the  first  year  of  life  has  been  attained, 
are  characterized  by  the  longer  periods  which  divide  them.     Nature 


144  TEETH. 

appears,  as  it  were,  resting  to  draw  breath  for  a  mightier  effort  than  she 
has  hitherto  undertaken.  Months  have,  heretofore,  separated  the  advent 
of  single  pairs ;  but,  from  this  date,  these  appearances  are  to  be  reckoned 
by  numbers  and  by  years.  The  foal,  to  the  point  of  its  present  necessi- 
ties, has  been  provided  for.  It  has  teeth  sufficient  to  support  and  to 
maintain  its  growth. 

Nature  has  now  to  render  perfect  the  body,  before  the  teeth.  Accord- 
ingly, between  the  first  and  the  second  year  the  alteration  in  the  general 
aspect  is  very  marked.  All  the  helplessness  and  pretty  ungainliness  of 
infancy  disappears  by  the  expiration  of  the  time  mentioned.  The  ani- 
mal's frame  then  suggests  something  of  those  beautiful  proportions  which 
it  is  soon  to  display.  Its  body,  however,  still  needs  maturing ;  and  no 
one,  less  wanting  in  common  sense  than  a  racing  man,  would  think  of 
subjecting  the  youthful  and  tender  form  to  the  hardest  of  all  actual  work. 


The  very  aspect  of  the  creature  should  denote  it  to  be  unsuited  for  such 
performances.  It  must,  to  foreigners,  read  as  strange  intelligence,  that 
the  nobility,  who  patronize  the  EngUsh  course,  applaud  the  contests 
between  two-year  olds ;  while  the  bumpkins,  who  breed  horses  for  the 
general  market,  allow  the  quadruped  to  enter  the  third  year  before  the 
colt  is  given  over  to  the  breaker.  Alas,  for  the  hardihood  or  want  of 
sensibility  displayed  by  the  most  exalted,  when  prompted  by  the  greed 
of  gambling  1 

Nothing  in  the  above  sketch  is  more  striking  than  the  contrast  pre- 


TEETH. 


145 


sented  by  the  character  of  the  head,  when  compared  with  the  image 
which  immediately  preceded  the  last  illustration.  The  face  has  per- 
ceptibly lengthened ;  for  by  this  time  a  second  permanent  molar,  making 
five  grinders  on  both  sides  of  the  upper  and  of  the  lower  jaws,  has  broken 
through  the  fleshy  covering  of  the  gums.  Preparation  is  also  being 
made  for  the  advent  of  the  sixth  grinder,  and  for  changes  in  those  milk 
molars  which  were  in  the  mouth  when  the  animal  was  bom.  At  the 
same  time,  additional  width  is  imperative  to  allow  the  permanent  inci- 
sors to  appear  When  the  proper  season  arrives  for  these  last  organs  to 
displace  their  temporary  representatives. 


JAW  AT  TWO  TEABS  OU). 


Should  the  front  teeth  of  a  two-year  old  mouth  be  examined,  there 
will  be  perceived  a  want,  of  that  fixedness  which,  one  year  before,  was 


THE  INOIEOB  TESTE  AT  TWO  T£AS8  OLD. 


the  characteristic  of  these  organs.  The  central  nippers  appear  to  have 
done  their  duty,  or,  at  all  events,  suggest  something  approaching  to 
maturity  has,  during  their  brief  existences,  been  attained.      It  will 

10 


146  TEETH. 

hardly  provoke  regret — certainly  it  cannot  excite  wonder — should  these 
once  beautiful  ornaments  of  the  foal's  mouth  be  displaced.  Indeed,  the 
aspect  of  jaws  in  the  two-year  old  plainly  intimate  approaching  altera- 
tion, which  in  a  few  months  will  become  apparent. 

Three  years  old  is  the  period  when  the  greater  number  of  colts  are 
brought  to  market.  About  this  age  most  animals  begin  to  perform 
work.  Omnibus  horses  are  purchased  when  only  thus  far  advanced  in 
life.  The  army  also  buys  its  remounts  when  no  farther  matured.  Car- 
riages are  drawn  by  young  horses  which,  when  they  become  three  years 
old,  are  resigned  to  the  bit,  the  bearing-rein,  and  the  exactions  of  Lon- 
don's fashionable  ladies.  Huntsmen,  to  be  sure,  have  discovered  that  a 
quadruped  must  be  "full  five"  before  it  can  gallop  "cross  country,"  take 
fences,  and  be  ridden  m  at  the  death,  or  even  be  expected  to  "  hold  "  a 
good  place  during  "the  run."  But  all  gentlemen  like  to  sit  on  the  yield- 
ing back  of  a  youthful  steed ;  though,  to  be  properly  maintained,  such 
a  seat  will,  very  probably,  cost  fifty  pounds  a  year,  if  not  more  money. 
The  upper  classes  of  society,  and  those  who  sacrifice  personal  judgment 
to  mimic  their  example,  seem  to  act  as  though  they  were  assured  that 
equine  life  was,  by  the  third  summer,  fully  fitted  to  endure  the  severest 
extortions  of  mankind  1 

To  embitter  the  fact,  every  year  of  the  horse's  life  is  not  calculated 
according  to  the  calendar.  Man  chooses  to  estimate  the  age  of  his  pos- 
session by  another  standard  than  that  of  the  seasons.  The  first  year  of 
hardly  two  animals  in  the  kingdom  is  precisely  of  the  same  length. 
Horses  are,  by  the  Jockey  Club,  permitted  to  have  only  two  birthdays. 
Thus,  all  blood  foals  must  first  see  the  light  on  the  first  of  January ;  or, 
should  one  presume  to  peep  at  the  world  upon  the  thirty-first  of  De- 
cember, the  decision,  which  admits  of  no  appeal,  will  esteem  the  in- 
truder one  year  old  when  the  second  day  of  its  existence  commences. 
Then  all  animals,  not  thorough-bred,  must  forbear  to  look  upon  creation 
until  the  first  of  May  comes  round ;  or,  if  they  dare  to  mistake  the  time, 
even  by  an  hour,  they  are  absolutely  pronounced  one  year  old,  before 
the  little  beings  can  fairly  stand  up  and  look  about  them. 

Such  regulations  may  be  very  convenient  for  the  purposes  of  the 
Jockey  Club ;  but  nature  has  not  yet  given  in  her  submission  to  human 
institutions.  Medical  men  know  that  ladies  cannot  always  calculate  to 
the  minute;  therefore  mares,  which  have  not  yet  learned  arithmetic, 
should  not  be  held  so  very  strict  to  their  reckonings.  Moreover,  when 
men  will  pay  to  sit  upon  the  back  of  a  three-year  old,  it  is  of  all  import- 
ance to  the  spine,  which  has  to  endure  the  burden,  whether  the  nominal 
birthday  represents  the  actual  time  or  merely  implies  the  animal  is  two 
years  and  half  an  hour  of  positive  age.     However,  the  teeth  most  ob- 


TEETH. 


'.47 


stinately  ignore  the  sage  code  of  the  Jockey  Club ;  but  the  laws  of  that 
controlling  body  disdain  to  notice  any  variation  ;  ^r  the  creature  which 
has  lost  but  one  nipper,  and  the  quadruped  which  has  four  permanent 
incisors  fully  up,  are  both  esteemed  to  have  been  dropped  at  the  same 
hour,  though  an  animal  suffering  the  first-named  change,  speaking 
truthfully,  may  be  only  rising  three. 


THE  INCISORS  DENOTE  THKEE  TEARS  OLD. 


At  the  same  time,  the  confirmed  mouth,  with  the  nippers  thor- 
oughly consolidated,  and  gums  not  showing  a  tinge  of  redness,  can 
be  esteemed  of  no  greater  age :  both  are  three  years  old ;  for  both  must 
have  been  born  on  the  first  of  January  or  on  the  first  of  May, — they  had 
no  business  to  appear  at  any  other  time.  If  they  were  presumptuous 
rebels  against  the  just  authority  and  recognized  dignity  of  the  Jockey 
Club,  then  they  are  beyond  the  pale  of  all  consideration,  and  must  bear 
the  consequences  of  their  temerity.  The  differences  exhibited  by  their 
mouths  are,  therefore,  held  to  be  of  no  account. 

The  age  at  this  period  ought  to  be  absolutely  ascertained ;  for  most 
horses,  when  three  years  old,  undergo  the  greatest  exertion.  At  this 
period,  the  animal  generally  has  to  suffer  the  instruction  of  a  rude  and 
an  ignorant — frequently  of  a  brutal  and  a  savage — man,  who  is  justly 
denominated  "a  breaker."  Then,  should  the  "'broken"  be  thought 
worthy  of  a  saddle,  it  is  given  up  to  the  gentle  mercies  of  a  rough  rider, 
and  has  to  be  tortured  till  it  is  gotten  well  together,  and  has  thoroughly 
learned  its  paces.  In  short,  its  gentle  spirit  has  to  be  subdued,  or  fear 
has  to  master  timidity.  How  little  does  man  know  about  that  life  he 
has  been  accustomed  to  coerce !     The  pride  of  this  world  prefers  the 


148 


TEETH. 


compuls  )Fj  drudgery  of  a  spirit-broken  slave,  to  tile  happy  service  of  a 
willing  friend.  The^orse  is  sent  upon  earth,  prepared  to  serve  and 
eager  to  share  the  happiness  of  its  lord;  but  it  is  not  understood;  it 
meets  with  no  sympathy ;  it  is  treated  as  a  wild  and  ravenous  beast, 
whose  subjugation  must  be  enforced  and  whose  obedience  must  be 
compelled. 


THE  INCISORS  DENOTE  NO  MORE  THAN  THREE   TEARS  OLD. 


'  The  bit  is  put  into  its  mouth  when  the  third  year  has  been  attained. 
It  is  driven  from  the  field  and  from  the  cool  grass ;  at  a  period  of  change 
and  of  debility  it  is  expected  to  display  the  greatest  animation,  or  to 
learn  strange  things  from  him  who  teaches  only  with  the  lash  or  with 
the  goad.  When  its  gums  are  inflamed ;  when  the  system  is  excited ; 
when  the  strength  is  absorbed  by  an  almost  simultaneous  appearance 
of  twelve  teeth,  it  is  led  from  the  plain  and  made,  with  its  bleeding  jaws, 
to  masticate  sharp  oats  and  fibrous  hay.  At  this  age,  when  fever  pre- 
vails in  its  blood,  and  the  growth  of  its  frame  naturally  weakens  the 
muscles,  it  is  expected  to  have  leisure  to  master  new  teachings,  anima- 
tion to  show  off  strange  acquirements,  and  stamina  to  endure  the  weight 
of  the  tyrant  on  its  back. 

From  this  date,  it  is  the  inhabitant  of  a  close,  a  fetid,  and  a  heated 
stable.  It  may  languish  for  a  cool  draught  of  pure  air ;  but  its  head  is 
haltered  to  the  manger,  and  there  it  must  remain,  to  inhale  the  tainted 
atmosphere  of  its  abode.  The  fire  natural  to  its  condition  may  rage ; 
but  it  must  not  slake  the  thirst  which  consumes  it  till  the  groom  brings 
a  pail,  only  to  permit  so  many  gulps  or  "go  downs"  to  be  imbibed. 
Nay,  if  the  poor  captive  should  shift  its  feet,  turn  its  head,  or  change  its 


TEETH. 


149 


attitude,  in  the  restlessness  of  fever,  it  offends  its  custodian,  who,  loun^ 
ing  upon  the  locker,  watches  to  maintain  order,  and  can  punish,  should 
any  horse  sin  against  a  groom's  notion  of  propriety.  Within  the  stable, 
of  an  afternoon,  all  is  silent !  The  man  is  uneasy,  because  of  an  inward 
consciousness  that  he  is  not  discharging  a  humane  office.  The  animals 
are  fidgety  under,  unnatural  restraint.  The  very  air  of  the  place  is  op- 
pressive. Nothing  appears  at  ease,  save  the  cat,  and  this  creature  dozes 
and  purs  with  enjoyment.  But  for  the  poor  colt  there  is  no  sympathy. 
For  should  the  cutting  of  many  teeth  inflame  the  gums  and  destroy  the 
appetite,  an  iron  is  made  red  hot  and  violently  forced  into  the  mouth, 
under  pretense  of  burning  away  the  groom's  favorite  disease — "the 
lampas  !"  which  is  purely  an  imaginary  disorder. 


JAW  OF  A   THREE-YEAR  OLD. 


It  has  been  described  that  a  three-year  colt  cuts  twelve  teeth.  The 
above  engraving  represents  half  the  lower  jaw  of  an  animal  which  had 
seen  three  summers.  In  it  the  reader  will  readily  recognize  those  organs 
which  are  of  recent  appearance,  by  their  darker  color,  by  their  larger 
size,  or  by  their  differing  in  shape  from  the  other  members.  These  new 
teeth  are  a  central  incisor  and  the  first  two  grinders.  The  horse  has 
two  jaws  and  two  sides  to  each  jaw ;  therefore  the  same  number  being 
present  within  each  side  of  both  jaws,  the  teeth  already  alluded  to  appear 
during  the  third  year.  However,  even  the  quantity  named  rather  under- 
states than  overrates  the  fact,  for  frequently  the  tushes  are  cut  during 
this  period ;  should  such  be  the  case,  the  colt  acquires  no  less  than  six- 
teen teeth  in  twelve  months.  We  know  what  the  young  beings  of 
our  own  species  suffer  when  the  gums  are  ruptured  and  the  bones  ab- 
sorbed by  the  organs  of  mastication ;  the  danger  then  encountered  leads 
to  a  belief  that  the  great  agony  endured  is  increased  by  a  rapid  growth 


150 


TEETH. 


of  the  Vody  simultaneously  weakening  the  system.  The  teeth  are  only 
a  part  of  the  living  organism ;  therefore,  as  when  a  part  moves  we  may 
conclude  the  whole  system  is  in  motion,  the  advent  of  sixteen  huge 
teeth,  alone,  might  reasonably  unfit  the  quadruped  for  commencing  its 
education,  or  for  undergoing  the  severest  portion  of  its  labors.  But 
how  do  the  customs  of  humanity  appear,  when  illumined  by  a  consider- 
ation of  the  sufferings  which  nature  is  imposing  at  the  time  the  colt  is 
tasked  to  its  greatest  exertions  ? 

Some  very  low  classes  of  horse  proprietors  will,  however,  make  the 
work  of  the  three-year  old  colt  as  light  as  possible.  The  vulgar  gen- 
erally regard  the  frame  at  this  age  as  not  perfectly  matured,  and  they 
treat  the  strength  as  not  equal  to  full  labor.  A  nice  practical  comment 
is  thus  published  upon  the  behavior  of  those  gentlemen  of  title  and  of 
fortune,  who  train,  start,  and  make  animals  run  races  at  two  years  old  I 
Few  members  of  existing  society,  however,  will  accord  any  indulgence 
to  a  colt  during  its  fourth  year.  Yet  if  the  quadruped  once  possessed 
any  claim  upon  consideration,  the  animal  at  this  period  has  positive  title 
to  our  forbearance.  For  the  second  effort  must  be  more  exhausting  than 
the  first;  since  the  latter  has  to  be  accomplished  with  diminished 
power.  Thus  the  four-year  old  has  to  perfect  as  many  teeth  as  are 
known  to  protrude  into  the  mouth  of  the  three-year  old. 


JAW   OF   A   FOUR-YEAR   OLD. 


The  tushes  in  this  view,  however,  must  be  disregarded.  The  precise 
time  of  appearance  is  uncertain  with  these  analogues  of  the  canine  teeth 
in  man,  or  of  the  tusks  in  the  porcine  race.  They  may  come  up  at  the 
third — they  often  are  delayed  to  the  fourth  year ;  sometimes  these  teeth 
never  pierce  the  membrane  of  the  gums,  it  being  veiy  far  from  uncom- 
mon to  see  horses'  mouths  of  seven  years  in  which  the  tushes  are  absent. 


TEETH.  151 

%. 
By  the  completion  of  the  fourth  year,  the  colt  has  certainly  gained 
twelve  teeth ;  that  is,  by  this  time  there  should  exist,  on  each  side  of 
both  jaws,  one  new  lateral  incisor  and  two  fi'esh  molars,  being  the  third 
and  the  sixth  in  position.  The  appearance  of  the  mouth  now  announces 
the  approach  of  maturity ;  but  the  inferior  margin  of  the  lower  bone 
still  feels  more  full  and  rounded  than  is  altogether  consistent  with  the 
perfect  consolidation  of  an  osseous  structure.  We  cannot  take  cogni- 
zance of  the  swollen  and  enlarged  condition  of  the  jaw,  without  being 
assured  that  some  important  process  is  going  forward  within  its  interior. 
It  is  among  the  firmest  physiological  truths,  that  nature  is  a  strict 
economist  and  never  does  anything  without  intention ;  that  every  en- 
largement or  every  depression  —  however  insignificant  it  may  appear 
to  human  eyes — is  a  permanent  provision  for  some  appointed  purpose, 
and  has  its  allotted  use  in  the  animal  system.  Accordingly,  it  is  dis- 
covered the  sign  we  just  remarked  upon  indicates  the  process  of  denti- 
tion is  not  finished  by  the  termination  of  the  fourth  year.  There  are 
more  teeth  to  be  cut,  as  well  as  the  fangs  of  those  already  in  the  mouth 
to  be  made  perfect.  This  must  be  a  laborious  effort.  Nature  always 
toils  slowly  in  proportion  to  the  density  of  her  work ;  when  we  regard 
the  compact  structure  of  a  horse's  tooth,  we  may  conjecture  the  quan- 
tity of  blood,  the  amount  of  inflammation,  and  the  intensity  of  suffering 
which  are  necessary  for  its  perfection. 


ONE  LOWER  LATERAL  INCISOR  BEING  THROUGH  THE  GUM  DECLARES  A  FOUR-TEAR   OLD. 

Still  a  gentleman  may  purchase  a  colt  with  one  lower  lateral  incisor 
barely  through  the  gum.  Nevertheless,  such  a  condition  of  mouth  must 
be  accepted  as  announcing  the  animal  to  be  four  years  old.  That  fact  is 
not  to  be  disputed,  for  have  not  the  Jockey  Club  proclaimed  it  ?  Being 
four  years  old,  most  people  view  the  colt  as  needing  no  indulgence.  The 
creature,  at  this  age,  is  generally  urged  to  the  extent  of  its  power. 
Would  mortal  intellect  think  on  that  which  it  beholds,  and  endeavor  to 
understand  the  evidence  which  is  presented  to  its  sight,  how  much  that 
is  now  carelessly  passed  by  unnoticed  would  be  read  as  a  plea  for  for- 


152 


TEETH. 


bearance,  and  how  miich  misery  might  be  banished  from  that  abode 
which  the  idle  complacently  term  "a  vale  of  tears" !  The  gums  newly 
lacerated  or  the  jaws  bleeding  do  not  indicate  that  conformation  of  parts 
or  announce  that  established  strength  which  could  endure  extreme  ex- 
haustion. Such  signs  rather  suggest  pain,  and  declare  that  life  is  suffer- 
ing the  penalty  of  existence.  They  ought  to  kindle  the  sympathy  of 
him  who  likewise  is  born  to  sorrow,  and  crave  the  commiseration  of  one 
whose  sad  inheritance  it  is  to  draw  breath  at  the  risk  of  misery.  Would 
any  man  expect  his  child — whether  girl  or  boy — ^when  only  acquiring 
the  permanent  front  teeth,  to  be  equal  to  the  toil  which  a  task-master 
should  allot  to  fully-developed  strength  in  its  prime  or  in  the  maturity 
of  its  power  ?  The  horse  is  not  a  speaking  creature.  It  has  no  voice 
to  plead  or  to  complain.  But  what  right  has  the  lord  of  earth,  being 
blessed  with  'ability  to  control  his  acts  and  with  reason  to  comprehend 
the  signs  of  nature,  to  enforce  that  fate  upon  the  dumb  slave  in  his 
possession  from  which  he  would  esteem  it  a  duty  to  shelter  his  own 
offspring  ? 


THESE  TEETH   EQUALLY  DECLARE  ONLY   FOUR  YEARS  OLD. 


The  colt  with  four  incisors  in  either  jaw,  all  fully  grown  and  worn  flat 
with  use,  is  esteemed  to  be  no  older  than  the  animal  with  only  one  lateral 
nipper  barely  through  the  swollen  gum.  Both  creatures,  according  to 
man's  reckoning,  are  of  one  age.  Neither  can,  says  the  Jockey  Club,  be 
an  hour  in  advance  of  the  other.  Yet  the  colt  with  four  pairs  of  perma- 
nent incisors  in  the  mouth  has  not  paid  the  penalty  which  nature  exacts 
from  early  life.  There  are  still  the  corner  milk  nippers  to  be  shed ;  yet, 
while  the  provision  necessary  for  that  labor  is  taking  place  within  the 
body,  or  while  nature  is  preparing  her  mute  offspring  for  the  coming 
struggle,  man  considers  the  poor  quadruped  as  fully  developed  and  as 
enjoying  the  prime  of  its  existence. 

The  teeth  may  be  scarcely  visible  in  the  mouth,  nevertheless  such  a 
sign  announces  the  fifth  year  to  be  attained.  Man,  who  estimates  a 
horse's  life  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Jockey  Club,  and  ignores  na- 


TEETH. 


153 


ture's  mode  of  declaring  the  duration  of  existence  by  signs  and  attri- 
butes ;  man,  who  in  his  impatience  refuses  to  reckon  age  by  those  func- 
tions which  the  body  has  perfected  or  which  it  has  to  mature — man 
seizes  upon  the  imperfect  being,  as  a  creature  fitted  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  any  kind  of  labor.  There  are,  at  five,  no  more  bothering  teeth 
to  cut.  All  are  through  the  bone,  and  the  mouth  will  soon  be  sound. 
The  animal  must  be  in  its  prime,  and  the  longest  day  or  the  hardest  run 
should  not  beat  it  to  a  stand-still.  Therefore,  show  off  your  horseman- 
ship. Mount,  trot,  prance,  gallop,  and  leap,  as  you  please.  Everybody 
says  the  horse  at  this  time  is  in  its  prime.     Tear  on  to  plowed  fields. 


FIVE-TEAR   OLD. 

One  npper  comer  permanent  incisor  has  been  cut.    The  lower  corner  milk  incisor  is  still  retained. 


Whip  the  brute  over  the  widest  ditch.  Dig  your  spurs  into  the  flanks 
and  take  the  stiffest  hedge.  The  laboring  beast  may  breathe  a  little 
hard  or  possibly  may  reel :  but,  so  the  quadruped  does  the  performance, 
and  is  scarcely  alive  after  it  is  accomplished — the  owner  can  hail  his 
five-year  old  as  a  seasoned  horse ! 

Were  the  writer  to  pursue  this  line  of  observation  from  year  to  year, 
the  features  becoming  more  minute  as  time  progresses,  the  investigation 
might  ultimately  grow  wearisome.  As  age  increases,  so  do  the  bones 
contract,  till  absorption  at  length  commences :  or  at  thirty  years  all  the 
appearances  of  strength,  which  were  conspicuous,  will  have  entirely  van- 
ished in  the  domesticated  quadruped  that  has  been  subjected  to  hot 
stables  and  hard  food.  The  jaw  no  longer  seems  endowed  with  greater- 
bulk  than  is  needed  for  the  discharge  of  its  function.  It  has  become 
comparatively  thin,  and  where  it  once  was  wide,  it  is  now  narrowed 


154 


TEETH. 


Then,  the  grinding  surfaces  of  the  molars  are  no  longer  even  or  straight. 
Comminution  of  an  artificially -prepared  diet,  continued  for  a  number  of 
years,  seems  to  have  worn  the  organs  of  mastication  into  a  shallow  and 
eccentric  curve;  or,  as  pressure  persevered  with  upon  any  living  sub- 
stance promotes  absorption,  probably  the  constant  grinding  of  hardened 
food  has  caused  parts  of  the  once  even  surface  to  be  removed. 


THE  JAW  OP  A   FIVE-TEAE   OLD. 


However,  many  readers  may  feel  disposed  to  turn  from  the  next  illus- 
tration, feeling  their  dislike  of  the  image  to  be  justified  by  denominating 


JAW  OF  A   THIRTT-TEAR   OLD. 


it  an  extreme  instance.  As  such  it  is  adduced,  and  no  wrong  is,  there- 
fore, done  by  so  regarding  it.  It  was  inserted  simply  as  bearing  con- 
spicuous evidence  of  that  fact  which  it  was  the  desire  to  establish.    Few, 


TEETH.  155 

very  few  English  horses  live  to  reach  the  thirtieth  year ;  but  to  show 
that  those  signs  which  were  remarkable  in  the  last  engraving  commence 
at  an  earher  period,  below  is  the  jaw  of  a  twelve-year  old  horse,  ir, 
which  the  presence  of  all  the  indications  that  at  the  thirtieth  year  seem 
exaggerated,  may  be  clearly  discerned  in  their  commencement. 


JAW  OP   A  TWELVE-YEAR  OLD. 


The  author  must  now  explain  the  phenomena  to  which  he  has  directed 
the  reader's  attention.  The  molar  teeth  are  not  all  of  the  like  size,  nor 
of  one  form.  The  organs  occupying  the  upper  jaw  are  nearly,  not  quite, 
double  the  width  of  those  which  are  locaj^ed  in  the  lower  jaw.  The 
inferior  molars  are  the  grinding  agents,  or  the  active  organs  of  mastica- 
tion. The  superior  teeth  are  simply  the  passive  tables  upon  which,  or 
against  which,  the  food  undergoes  comminution.  The  slab  is  always 
the  lowest  of  the  two  in  human  mills ;  but  nature  has  more  to  provide 
for  than  the  mere  pulverization  of  certain  substances.  "With  mastication, 
actually  commences  a  very  compound  process.  With  the  act  of  chewing, 
digestion  begins ;  it  was  ordained  that  more  than  any  mechanical  inven- 
tion can  accomplish  should  be  imperative  to  the  due  performance  of  this 
function.  The  benevolence  of  the  All-wise  instituted  that  while  his 
creatures  were  promoting  the  healthy  exercise  of  the  appropriative  ne- 
cessity, they  should  likewise  excite  their  enjoyment.  Therefore  when 
pulp  is  masticated,  the  pressure  of  the  teeth  expels  the  juices,  which  fall 
directly  upon  the  seat  of  taste.  "When  a  harder  substance  has  to  be 
comminuted,  the  bulk  is  first  shattered  into  fragments ;  the  particles,  de- 
scending upon  either  side  of  the  teeth,  have  to  be  gathered  up  and  placed 
again  between  the  masticatory  organs.  The  movements  of  the  tongue 
and  jaw  excite  the  salivary  glands ;  the  broken  substance  becomes  min- 


156 


TEETH 


*HE  CONDITION  IN  WHl  IB  THE  TABLE 
OF  A  TEMPORARY  MC'AR  IS  CAST 
FROM    THE   MOUTH   OF   A   HORSE. 

The  dotted  lines  mereiy  indicate 
the  extent  of  the  tooth  previous 
to  absorption. 


gled  with  the  secretion  of  the  last-named  bodies.  Saliva  extracts  the 
savor  from  the  food;  and  the  tongue  also  brings  these  in  contact  with 
the  seat  of  taste,  while  discharging  its  office  of  collecting  the  broken 
pieces. 

The  reader  being  now  fully  informed  as  to  facts,  may  have  patience 
sufficient  to  peruse  an  explanation  of  the  principles  on  which  the  fore- 
going statements  are  founded.  Such  a  mode  of  proceeding  may,  to 
certain  methodical  writers,  seem  to  be  transposing  the  proper  arrange- 
ment.   The  author  does  not  undertake  to  defend  his  actions  on  the  score 

of  their  propriety ;  but  he  feels  that  he  is  ad- 
dressing human  beings  in  whom  a  desire  to 
know  is  the  best  possible  foundation  on  which 
knowledge  can  be  established ;  consequently, 
principles  become  less  repulsive  when  com- 
municated after  incidents  have  kindled  cu- 
riosity. 

The  primary  molars  cannot  boast  the  length 
of  the  fang,  though  they  exhibit  very  nearly 
the  same  extent  of  superficial  surface  as  char- 
acterizes the  succeeding  teeth.  They  have 
rather  shallow  roots,  which  are  not  composed 
of  those  consolidated  materials  that  are  present  in  their  immediate  suc- 
cessors.    When  the  original  molar  is  shed,  the  temporary  tooth  is  not 

expelled  entire  from  its  position,  but  the  pres- 
sure of  the  growing  organ  (which  comes  into 
the  mouth  exactly  Where  the  milk  grinder 
stood)  causes  the  root  to  be  absorbed,  till 
nothing  but  a  superficial  shell  has  to  be 
sjected. 

The  horse,  in  its  natural  state,  exists  on 
fibrous  grasses ;  it  therefore  becomes  essential 
the  animal  should  retain  the  power  of  mas- 
ticating such  substances.  Nature  never  with- 
holds what  is  necessary  to  the  well-being  of 
her  creatures.  The  mode  in  which  the  Com- 
mon Parent  provides  for  the  preservation  of 
this  ability  in  the  horse  is  perfectly  distinct 
from  any  provision  that  He  makes  for  most 
earthly  creatures.  The  temporary  remains  of 
a  molar  tooth  are  not  shed  till  another  orgaii 
is  in  the  mouth  at  hand  to  permanently  sup 
ply  its  place.     But  the  permanent  tooth  does  not  appear  ready  flattened 


A  FIRST  PERMANENT  MOLAR,  AS 
IT  APPEARED  IK  THE  MOOTH, 
UNCOVERED. 

This  tooth  occupied  the  fourth 
Bitue.tion  in  the  jaw;  there- 
fore the  root  would  require 
to  be  considerably  extended 
by  subsequent  growth. 


TEETH. 


157 


and  prepared  to  discharge  its  office.  It  is  cut  with  certain  angular 
prominences  upon  its  masticating  surface,  which  must  render  the  animal 
disinclined  to  employ  it  on  the  instant  of  its  development.  This  dis- 
inclination allows  a  pause,  during  which  the  various  structures  can  be 
consolidated,  and  at  the  end  of  such  brief  space  the  prominences  have 
become  blunted,  while  the  organ,  being  firmly  planted,  is  then  ready  for 
mastication.  Is  it  not  surprising  how  a  plain  statement  of  facts  can 
reasonably  account  for  that  disinclination  to  feed  which,  to  the  groom's 
mind,  announces  a  state  of  disease  that  shall  necessitate  the  employment 
of  burning  iron  to  eradicate  what  the  man  styles  "Lampas !" 

There  remains,  however,  to  account  for  that  width  and  depth  of  jaw 
by  which  the  head  of  the  youthful  horse  is  distinguished.  The  reader 
is  requested  to  attentively  inspect  the  last  illustration.  The  size  and 
length  of  fang  cannot  fail  to  awaken  his  surprise.  Nevertheless,  if  this 
part  be  regarded  it  will  be  seen  depicted  as  of  a  ragged,  incomplete,  and 
apparently  of  a  hollow  condition.  So,  when  the  tooth  has  displaced  the 
temporary  molar,  and  has  taken  its  station  within  the  mouth,  it  has  still 
to  grow.  The  protruded  portion  may  be  consolidated;  but  the  un- 
finished extremity  is  denominated  the  cavity  of  the  pulp.  That  pulp  con- 
sists of  a  fine  bladder,  on  which  ramify  numerous  blood-vessels ;  but  the 
interior  of  which  contains  simply  a  clear  fluid.  This  is  the  secreting 
membrane  of  the  tooth.  Out  of  this  watery 
bag  the  wonderful  chemistry  of  nature  can  ex- 
tract the  most  condensed  material  that  resides 
within  the  strong  body  of  a  horse. 

Another  feature  of  the  above  tooth,  because 
it  balks  expectation,  can  hardly  fail  to  attract 
notice.  The  dark  hue  of  the  outward  covering, 
being  abhorrent  to  human  notions  of  youth  or 
of  purity,  is  generally  attributed  to  dirt.  The 
tooth  of  the  horse  is,  however,  composed  of 
three  substances :  a  tough  and  fibrous  material, 
called  crusta  petrosa ;  a  thin  layer  of  crystalline 
deposit,  named  enamel ;  and  a  kind  of  compact 
bone,  spoken  of  as  dentine.  They  occur  accord- 
ing to  the  order  in  which  they  are  named.  The 
bone  exhibits  a  yellow  tinge,  and  is  present  in 
the  greatest  quantity,  for  it  forms  the  inner  bulk 
of  the  tooth.  The  crusta  petrosa  is  a  comparatively  thick  external  en- 
velope, being  about  five  times  the  substance  of  the  enamel,  to  which  it  is 
an  outward  protection.  The  components  are  thrown  into  various  con- 
volutions; but  the  order  alluded  to  is  always  preserved.     The  bone  or 


SECTION  OF  A    MOLAS 
TOOTH. 


158  TEETH. 

dentine  is  invariably  the  internal  substance ;  it  needs  to  occupy  such  a 
position,  as  within  it  the  sensation  resides.  The  crusta  petrosa  and  the 
enamel  may  be  tampered  with  without  perception  being  aroused;  but' 
the  dentine  is  capable  of  communicating  the  acutest  agony;  and  it  is 
upon  the  dentine  that  rogues  operate,  when  they  "bishop"  an  old 
horse. 

To  convince  the  reader  that  nature  has  not  needlessly  sacrificed  the 
whiteness  of  the  horse's  tooth,  the  author  will  dilate  fully  upon  the  many 
services  afforded  by  the  dark-colored  crusta  petrosa.  To  render  the 
explanation  more  intelligible,  reference  will  be  here  made  to  a  common 
tool  seen  every  day  in  the  hands  of  an  ordinary  mechanic.  The  brick- 
layer's trowel  appears  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  thick  layer  of  metal ; 
but  it  is  hourly  put  to  uses  for  which  iron  would  be  too  soft,  and  steel 
would  be  too  brittle.  Therefore,  the  blade  is  composed  of  a  thin  layer  of 
steel,  inclosed  within  two  comparatively  thick  layers  of  iron.  By  the 
combination  of  opposite  qualities,  perfect  utility  is  produced ;  and  this 
trowel,  it  seems  hard  to  believe,  was  not  suggested  by  that  arrangement 
which  is  conspicuous  in  the  horse's  tooth. 

The  enamel,  hard,  brittle,  and  readily  fractured,  but  presenting  a  fine 
or  a  cutting  edge,  is  developed  as  a  thin  layer,  convoluted  upon  the  sides 
of  the  dentine,  and  securely  covered  by  crusta  petrosa.  That  the  incisive 
substance  may  fulfill  its  oflSce,  may  sever  or  comminute  the  tough  and 
fibrous  herbs  upon  which  the  equine  race  subsist,  it  is  inclosed  between 
two  elastic  bodies,  the  whole  being  held  together  by  the  vessels  which 
pass  from  the  exterior  to  the  interior  of  the  organ,  though  these  vessels 
do  no  more  than  travel  through  the  enamel  without  nourishing  or  sup- 
porting it ;  the  latter  structure  being  of  a  crystalline  nature,  or  strictly 
inorganic,  therefore  not  fitted  to  appropriate  nutriment. 

The  crusta  petrosa  is,  however,  of  further  use  than  has  been  already 
stated.  The  horse's  grindei-s  are  generally  supposed  to  be  gifted  with  a 
power  of  growth  whereby  they  are  enabled  to  repair  that  perpetual  loss 
of  substance  to  which  their  employment  must  subject  them.  The  teeth, 
certainly,  are  not  perfected  when  the  crowns  first  appear  in  the  mouth ; 
so  far  the  opinion  is  capable  of  being  upheld.  But  when  once  completed, 
the  dentine  is  not  endowed  with  any  innate  ability  to  renew  its  loss  of 
substance.  The  wear  consequent  upon  continual  use  is  provided  for  by 
the  length  of  fang  which  characterizes  the  permanent  molar  of  the  quad- 
ruped. As  the  surface  gradually  decreases,  so  are  the  lower  parts  of  the 
teeth,  by  the  contraction  of  the  jaw-bones,  forced  into  the  mouth,  while 
the  outward  investing  substance — the  crusta  petrosa — being  gifted  with 
a  hmited  power  of  increase,  is  enabled  thereby  to  firmly  retain  the 
protruded  fang  in  its  new  position;   although  the  contraction  of  the 


TEETH.  159 

bones,  which  is  always  going  forward  as  age  advances,  does  not  necessi- 
tate the  power  of  growth  should  in  early  life  be  largely  exhibited. 

With  almost  every  form  of  being,  as  years  accumulate,  the  ability  to 
masticate  becomes  enfeebled.  It  is  with  the  horse  as  it  is  with  other 
animals.  The  thin  coating  of  enamel  does  not  extend  to  the  ultimate 
root  of  the  fang,  so  that  in  advanced  age  the  power  of  the  molars  is 
almost  destroyed  by  the  absence  of  the  cutting  agent  upon  the  grinding 
surface.  The  chief  component,  moreover,  or  the  dentine,  diminishes  in 
quantity  as  in  solidity ;  the  last  portions  of  the  molar,  therefore,  could 
not  fill  the  socket,  only  for  that  ability  to  increase  with  which  the  crusta 
petrosa  is  gifted.  Upon  the  extreme  roots  of  the  grinders,  taken  from 
the  jaws  of  very  old  horses,  this  substance  is  always  found  in  great 
abundance.  In  illustration  of  this  fact,  a  sketch  made  from  the  tooth  of 
an  aged  quadruped  is  here  inserted ;  the  body  has  been  sawn  asunder, 
to  exhibit  the  proportions  and  the  substances  that 
entered  into  its  composition.  The  reader  will  re-  P^ 
mark  certain  dark  lines  upon  the  dentine.  These 
indicate  the  places  where  existed  the  cavity  of  the 
pulp,  which  once  served  to  nourish  the  organ ;  but 
it  is  lost  as  vitality  lessens  with  the  advance  of        V  i    \        j'lJ 

senility.     Does  not  the  reader,  as  he  inspects  the  ^li3ak>>*'      ^'Wi^ 

engraving,  perceive  the  wickedness  and  the  folly      ''''™''  ''iooih."^'*  '""'^ 
of  placing  harsh  and  dried  food  before  a  creature 
which  nature,  in  age,  deprives  of  ability  to  comminute  such  a  form  of 
sustenance  ? 

The  permanent  incisors  are  not  cut  after  the  same  manner  as  the 
molars.  The  nippers  being  merely  emploj^ed  to  bite  the  grass,  a  wide 
vacancy  does  not  necessarily  incapacitate  the  other  portions  of  the  ex- 
cising apparatus.  A  blade  can  cut,  even  though  a  large  notch  exist  upon 
its  edge.  Whereas  the  points  which  are  developed  upon  the  upper  sur- 
faces of  the  newly  cut  molars  must  render  the  grinders  entirely  useless ; 
although  the  short  period  of  enforced  abstinence,  which  announces  the 
appearance  of  a  fresh  double  tooth,  may  be  nature's  own  medicine  to 
quiet  a  feverish  system,  burning  with  morbid  excitement. 

The  front  milk  teeth  have  fangs  when  they  appear  in  the  mouth ;  but 
no  fang  exists  when  the  primary  members  are  shed.  The  root  of  the 
temporary  organ,  when  perfect,  however,  resembles  that  of  the  perma- 
nent incisor.  It  is  only  sufficient  to  fit  the  member  for  its  purposes.  In 
the  same  canal  as  was  occupied  by  the  milk  tooth,  the  permanent  in- 
cisor generally  appears.  Much  suffering  must  attend  the  absorption  of 
bone ;  yet,  during  the  time  the  huge  permanent  nipper  is  forcing  its  way 
through  the  narrow  channel,  which  held   firmly  the  diminutive   milk 


160 


TEETH. 


tooth,  and  while  the  smaller  fang  is  by  pressure  being  also  absorbed,  the 
colt  receives  no  consideration  at  the  hands  of  the  groom  or  of  its  master. 
Both  are  equally  ignorant  of  the  necessity  for  kindness ;  but  each  re- 
gards any  indication  of  pain  as  one  of  those  visitations  of  disease  to 
which  young  horses  are  said  to  be  peculiarly  liable. 

When  the  foal  has  shed  the  front  milk  teeth,  the  entire  of  the  service- 
able or  visible  portion  of  these  members  is  displaced.  They  are  en- 
dowed with  no  power  to  supply  any  diminution  of  their  substance, 
neither  are  they  capable  of  renewal;  whereas  the  long  peimanent 
incisor  may  be  viewed  as  all  tooth,  and  possessing  no  fang ;  for  as  the 
upper  portion  wears,  so  does  the  lower  part  protrude  or  supply  its  place. 
The  two  teeth,  however,  present  a  strong  contrast  when  considered  as 


A  MIIK  AND  A  PERMANENT  INCISOR  TOOTH. 


organs,  both  occupying  one  cavity,  and  both  united  to  fulfill  the  like  uses 
in  the  same  animal.  The  illustration  last  displayed  represented  a  per- 
manent and  a  temporary  incisor ;  the  uneven  mark  dividing  the  milk 
tooth  indicates  the  appearance  of  the  organ  after  the  absorption  of  the 
fang  causes  it  to  be  cast  from  the  mouth,  while  the  dotted  line  shows  the 
shape  and  the  extent  of  the  fang  previous  to  its  absorption  by  pressure. 
The  amount  of  root  natural  to  the  permanent  incisors  enables  those 
organs,  as  years  increase,  to  alter  their  arrangement,  length,  and  direc- 
tion, without  being  displaced.  In  youth,  the  united  front  teeth  compose 
a  curve,  or  almost  a  semicircle.  In  age,  the  same  members  incline 
toward  a  straight,  or  at  best  form  an  irregular  line.  In  the  colt,  the 
teeth  are  flat,  smooth,  and  filbert  shaped ;  but  in  the  old  animal,  they 
are  decidedly  long  and  angular.  When  the  permanent  teeth  first  appear, 
they  are  nearly  perpendicular ;  but  when  they  have  been  a  long  time  ex- 
posed, they  protrude  almost  in  the  horizontal  direction.  Looking,  from 
the  side,  at  a  young  mouth,  the  spectator  can  behold  half  the  nippers; 


TEETH. 


161 


but  when  inspecting  the  old  teeth  from  the  same  point  of  view,  two  only 
wiU  be  visible,  though  the  full  number  shail  be  present  in  the  mouth.     In 


SIX  TEARg  OLD. 


SEVEN  TEARS  0U>. 


EIGHT  TEARS  OLD. 

-tBx  nrmsoBS  or  hoeses  op  different  periods  os  aqb  apiek  the  fifth  tear, 
11 


162 


TEETH. 


the  aged  quadruped,  moreover,  the  narrowing  of  the  incisors  allows  the 
spaces  between  the  organs  to  be  vacant.     Within  these  spaces  the  food 


IWELYE    lEARS   OLD. 


TWENTY  TEARS  OLD. 


THTRTT  TEARS  OLD. 

THB  nrcisoRS  op  houses  or  diffkrent  periods  of  age  after  the  fifth  tear. 

accumulates,  which,  being  there  retained  and  becoming  black,  looks  as 
though  the  creature  had  been  chewing  tobacco.     Such  signs  are  too  fixed 


TEETH.  163 

to  be  disguised.  The  accumulation  of  blackened  food,  it  is  true,  may  be 
taken  away ;  but  its  removal  will  leave  the  interspaces,  if  possible,  stil» 
more  conspicuous.  So  also  the  long  teeth  may  be  shortened ;  but  they 
will  not  be  elevated  to  the  perpendicular,  or  changed  to  a  filbert  form,  or 
restored  to  the  semicircular  arrangement. 

The  tushes  likewise  may  be  regarded.  These  teeth  are  sometimes 
absent  in  mares,  and  in  animals  of  the  female  sex  are  seldom  developed 
of  the  size  which  they  commonly  exhibit  in  the  male.  When  first  cut, 
the  tush  is  spear  shaped,  having  well-defined  grooves  running  down  its 
margins.  As  age  advances,  all  pretension  to  this  form  is  lost.  The 
tooth  either  becomes  very  flat  upon  its  crown  or  it  may  be  rendered 
level  with  the  gum ;  else  it  grows  very  long,  looking  more  like  a  coarse 
spike  than  the  organ  it  really  is.  Also,  when  it  originally  appears  in 
the  young  mouth,  the  tush  ranges  evenly  with  the  parts  from  which  it 
grows,  and  points  forward.  As  senility  is  attained,  the  member  is 
directed  outward ;  with  extreme  old  age,  it  faces  backward.  The  con- 
traction of  the  jaw  causes  the  tongue  to  protrude  from  the  free  spaces 
between  the  teeth,  while  the  consequent  shallowness  of  the  canal  formed 
by  the  branches  of  the  bone  occasions  the  saliva  to  dribble  forth  when 
the  lips  are  parted. 

The  indications  of  extreme  age  are  always  present,  and  though  during 
a  period  of  senility  the  teeth  cannot  be  literally  construed,  nevertheless 
it  should  be  impossible  to  look  upon  the  '.'  venerable  steed  "  as  an  animal 
in  its  colthood. 

No  man  can  accurately  interpret  the  signs  of  the  teeth  after  the  fifth, 
year.  A  guess,  more  or  less  correct,  can  be  hazarded ;  but  nothing  like 
confident  judgment  can  be  pronounced  subsequent  to  the  period  just 
named.  Cases  will  frequently  occur,  which  shall  set  our  best  endeavors 
to  be  correct  at  defiance.  But  for  such  instances  it  is  not  difficult  to 
account.  The  Jockey  Club  may  order  as  it  pleases  about  birthdays; 
but  children  and  foals  will,  nevertheless,  obtrude  upon  the  world  all  the 
year  round.  Such  downright  absurdity,  as  a  pretense  at  controUing  the 
operations  of  nature,  was  never  perhaps  equaled,  save  by  the  burlesque 
monarch  depicted  by  Mr.  Planchfe,  who,  because  he  is  hungry,  wills  that 
it  be  one  o'clock,  when  the  sun  declares  the  time  to  be  only  twelve.  It 
might  be  more  convenient,  certainly,  if  foals  could  agree  all  to  put  in 
appearances  at  a  particular  date;  but  until  such  an  arrangement  has 
been  entered  into  by  the  parties  principally  concerned,  it  is  idle  pre- 
<?umption  for  any  set  of  men  to  issue  ordinances  which,  never  being 
observed,  render  "confusion  worse  confounded." 

The  difi"erence  between  the  times  of  birth  in  various  animals,  it  is 
true,  may  cause  different  aspects  in  the  teeth,  and  even  induce  men,  in 


164  TEETH. 

obedieice  to  the  rules  of  the  Jockey  Club,  to  call  a  colt  four,  which 
truth  and  the  teeth  declare  to  be' only  three.  Horses  may  therefore  be 
readily  reckoned  older  than  they  really  are :  but  there  is  a  general  belief 
that  rogues  in  Yorkshire  can  make  the  teeth  say  five,  when  the  actual 
age  is  only  four ;  or,  in  other  words,  can  so  successfully  tamper  with  the 
mouth  as  to  induce  the  teeth  to  belie  the  actual  age.  Ignorant  people 
have  a  blind  faith  in  the  power  of  those  who  chance  to  be  more  knowing 
than  themselves ;  but  the  author  can  only  regard  the  general  belief  in 
"Yorkshire  fives,"  as  illustrating  the  total  unacquaintance  of  the  public 
with  all  that  concerns  equine  economy. 

An  elderly  lady  once  laid  claim  to  a  dog  which  she  beheld  led  about 
the  streets  for  sale.  The  possessor  disputed  her  title,  and  the  pair  were 
by  the  police  introduced  to  a  magistrate.  Both  gave  a  different  name 
as  that  belonging  to  the  animal.  The  dog  came  to  either  appellation. 
When  put  down  on  the  floor  of  the  court,  it  went  to  man  or  lady  with 
equal  indifTerence.  It  was  a  puzzling  case.  At  length,  the  bench  was 
illumined  by  a  bright  idea.  "Hand  me  the  dog,"  cried  his  worship,  who 
quickly  placed  it  out  of  sight.  Then,  addressing  the  female  supplicant, 
he  said,  "  I  beg  your  pardon.  All  you  have  said  about  signs  and  marks 
may  be  perfectly  correct ;  but  such  things,  possibly,  in  two  animals,  may 
be  the  same.  The  creature  evidently  does  not  appear  to  recognize  its 
mistress ;  for,  though  it  comes  to  your  call,  yet  it  will  leave  you  when 
spoken  to  from  an  opposite  direction.  I  beg  your  pardon,  madam,  we 
have  settled,  apparently,  all  points  but  one.  Pray  excuse  me  !  But  was 
your  animal  a  gentleman  or  a  lady  ?"  "  Oh  I  sir !"  replied  the  distressed 
female,  "mine  was  a  lady  dog."  "Then  I  am  afraid  I  must  give  the 
case  against  your  ownership,  for  this  dog  is  decidedly  a  gentleman." 
With  that,  he  returned  the  animal  to  the  man.  "  Stop,  sir !  Stay !  Oh ! 
pause  1  Consider,  sir,  those  dog  stealers  can  play  such  tricks,"  sobbed 
forth  the  disconsolate  female. 

So  particular  people  appear  to  credit  Yorkshire  horse  dealers  with  an 
ability  to  perform  "such  tricks."  No  doubt  they  have  every  wish;  but 
the  author  questions  whether  they  have  yet  attained  the  power  to  compel 
nature  at  their  bidding.  All  they  are  said  to  do,  as  pulling  out  the  milk 
teeth,  firing  and  blistering  the  gums,  are  like  the  arts  which  were  for- 
merly used  to  raise  the  evil  one ;  and,  in  the  writer's  opinion,  about  as 
likely  to  be  attended  with  success.  Cruelty  is  more  calculated  to  retard 
than  to  promote  development.  However,  if  the  mouth  exhibit  the  signs 
proper  to  a  five-year  old,  the  animal  may  with  safety  be  purchased,  as 
being  of  that  age.  Should  it  be  younger  than  five,  the  owner  is  the 
gainer ;  since  the  teeth  do  no  more  than  indicate  the  development  of  the 
body,  and  an  early  maturity  is  the  best  evidence  that  the  quadjuped, 
during  the  previous  years,  has  been  tenderly  nurtured. 


TEETH.  165 

Certain  readers  may  feel  opposed  to  the  illustrations  which  have  been 
inserted  into  this  division  of  the  present  volume.  It  may  be  justly  ad- 
vanced that,  in  the  earlier  portion  of  the  present  treatise,  the  author 
asserted  horses  could  live  until  the  animal  had  reached  its  sixtieth  year. 
However,  recently  he  adduced  the  mouth  of  a  quadruped  which  endured 
but  half  that  period ;  yet  this  specimen  exhibited  features  indicative  of 
immediate  decay. 

Such  an  accusation  would  be  well  grounded ;  it  could  not  be  denied. 
The  sixty-year  old  of  which  the  writer  spoke  was  not  feeding  in  the 
stable.  The  creature  whose  teeth  are  delineated  to  represent  the  ap- 
pearances displayed  at  the  thirtieth  year  was  not  in  the  field,  but  tied 
up  in  a  stall.  The  one  quadruped  was  consuming  its  natural  food,  the 
other  had  to  masticate  those  artificially-prepared  substances  which  man 
finds  it  most  convenient  to  place  before  the  dumb  captive. 

The  engravings  inserted  to  illustrate  the  aspect  of  the  mouth,  during 
the  thirtieth  year,  may  therefore  be  regarded  as  exemplifying  the  evils 
which  result  from  the  present  mode  of  feeding.  Hay  and  oats,  as  now 
given  in  dry  and  hard  conditions,  are  the  most  expensive  articles  of 
sustenance  which  could  be  found.  Much  of  the  hay  passes  through  the 
system  only  partially  digested.  In  what  condition  the  oats  are  voided, 
the  sparrows  of  the  roadway  and  the  chickens' on  the  dung  hill  equally 
attest.  Under  the  present  system  at  least  half  the  diet  is  ejected  from 
the  body  unappropriated.  Much  more  would  be  lost,  but  for  the  capa- 
cious and  convoluted  intestines  of  the  equine  race.  Within  these,  the 
provender  swallowed  is  long  retained,  and  during  the  entire  period  of  its 
retention  it  is  exposed  to  the  digestive  action  which  its  components  are 
beautifully  formed  to  resist. 

Aloes,  a  most  drastic  purgative,  is  the  one  in  common  use  with  stable- 
men. It  takes  four  and  twenty  hours  before  its  operation  is  witnessed ; 
for  an  entire  day  it  lies  dormant  within  the  body,  notwithstanding  the 
aids  of  warm  water,  bran  mashes,  and  occasional  exercise  are  resorted 
to,  so  as  to  quicken  its  laxative  effects.  The  animal,  during  this  period, 
is  obviously  ill,  and  the  medicine  may  be  heard  causing  a  "rumbling 
noise  "  within  the  bowels.  But  if  a  drastic  purgative  is  four  and  twenty 
hours  traveling  along  the  digestive  track,  what  period  will  be  occupied 
by  those  dry  materials  which  must  have  positively  a  constipating  effect  ? 
F'^wever,  the  latter  kind  of  diet  is  not  all  acted  upon  when  cast  forth ; 
that  portion  which  is  ejected  in  an  unchanged  condition  represents  so 
much  cash  which  has  been  expended  to  no  purpose. 

Of  course,  the  mastication  of  artificially-prepared  food  wears  the 
''Ceth,  and  also  taxes  the  powers  of  nature  far  more  than  would  the 
natural  diet.     By  the  operation  of  both  causes,  the  horse's  life  is  ren- 


166 


TEETH. 


dored  much  shorter  than  it  would  be  were  the  animal  kept  after  a  nat- 
mal  fashion.  The  diminished  period  of  existence  we  will  mildly  esti- 
mate at  one-half  the  natural  duration ;  therefore,  under  the  existing 
mode  of  stable  management,  every  gentleman  pays  twice  as  much  for 
an  animal  as  under  a  better  system  need  be  given.  Nay,  the  extrava- 
gance does  not  end  here ;  for  the  unnatural  nourishment  first  generates 
weakness,  and  weakness  is  the  beginning  of  disease.  There  is,  there- 
fore, to  be  added  to  the  account — annoyance,  loss  of  service,  and  the 
veterinary  surgeon's  charges.  To  crown  all,  the  proprietor  cannot 
obtain  the  full  exertion  from  the  animal ;  the  body  being  only  partially 
supported  even  during  the  seasons  of  impei-fect  health.  The  incom- 
pletely digested  food  has  also  to  be  considered.  Altogether,  as  the 
author  has  no  desire  to  make  out  a  case,  suppose  the  latter  influences 
reduce  the  value  of  the  remaining  portion  of  life  one-half,  and  we  arrive 
at  the  conclusion  that  the  horse  proprietor  literally  squanders  fifteen 
shillings  out  of  every  pound  he  pays  for  his  horse ;  and  he  is  thus  ex- 
travagant, simply  because,  to  consult  the  convenience  of  his  groom,  he 
will  persist  in  feeding  the  animal  upon  a  most  unnatural  and  injurious 
kind  of  diet. 

This  subject  will,  however,  be  fully  considered  in  the  next  chapter, 
where  "  food  "  is  separately  regarded.  The  author  must  only  here  state 
that  he  is  not  advocating  a  return  to  grass,  although  grass  may  suggest 
an  idea  as  to  the  proper  kind  of  nutriment  without  itself  being  the  thing 
desired.  It  is  certainly  true  that  horses  look  round  for  their  food,  and 
the  stable  is  always  in  commotion  when  the  hour  arrives  for  its  distri- 
bution. This  fact,  however,  establishes  nothing.  Horses  are  fidgety 
equally  during  the  period  of  watering.  Horses,  in  other  countries,  are 
uneasy  when  the  stable  companions  are  being  fed ;  yet  in  all  countries 
they  do  not  live  as  in  England.  In  the  extreme  northern  parts  of  the 
world,  they  eat  dried  fish ;  in  the  Crimea,  they  gnawed  one  another's 
tails ;  in  Arabia,  they  feast  upon  barley  and  chopped  straw ;  in  India, 
rudely  cut  grass,  which  has  frequently  parted  with  its  moisture  as  well 
as  shed  its  seed,  and  a  dark  grain  termed  "gram,"  is  their  support.  In 
Germany,  they  enjoy  black  bread.  In  Ireland,  they  delight  in  raw 
potatoes.  In  various  parts  of  England,  they  enjoy  different  sorts  of 
nourishment.  In  some  countries,  boiled  substances  are  the  favorite  dish. 
In  others,  cut  roots  are  swallowed  with  avidity ;  while  there  is  a  growing 
custom  of  administering  those  various  seasonings,  all  of  which  bear  the 
general  designation  of  "  patent  food. "  In  short,  the  stabled  horse  can  ap- 
parently be  brought  to  consume  anything ;  but  of  all  the  known  varieties 
of  diet,  the  author  must  regard  that  which  is  harsh,  dried,  and  artificially 
prepared,  as  the  most  convenient — but  the  most  injurious  and  unnatural. 


TEETH.  167 

Its  consequences  are,  perhaps,  best  exhibited  by  the  thirst  which  it 
will  generate.  The  horse  is  not,  naturally,  a  large  drinker ;  but  if  the 
internal  portions  of  the  body  have  to  supply  moisture,  in  order  that  theso 
parts  may  extract  the  nutriment  from  dry  food,  the  water  must  be  re- 
placed from  an  outward  source.  Horses  have  been  known  to  be  ill  from 
excessive  thirst.  Mr.  William  Percivall,  the  late  respected  author  on 
veterinary  subjects,  has  recorded  a  case  of  this  description.  Neverthe- 
less, copious  draughts  of  cold  water  are  frequently  attended  with 
danger ;  only,  does  it  not  exhibit  a  refinement  upon  cruelty — firstly,  to 
imprison  an  animal,  and  fasten  it  to  one  spot;  secondly,  to  give  only 
such  provender  as  must  generate  a  craving  for  fluid ;  thirdly,  to  with- 
hold the  liquid  which  our  folly  has  created  a  desire  to  imbibe  ? 

The  stable  diet,  moreover,  throws  the  incisors  out  of  use.  These 
teeth,  in  the  domesticated  animal,  are  employed  only  to  grasp  a  little 
hay  and  to  pull  it  from  the  rack.  They  are  of  no  further  service.  One 
of  their  popular  names,  "nippers,"  is  in  general  a  misnomer,  for  they  are 
permitted  to  nip  nothing ;  much  less  are  they  allowed  to  exercise  their 
incisive  faculty.  Therefore,  being  thrown  out  of  use,  the  members  have 
no  function  to  control  their  natural  growth.  They  continue  to  protrude 
as  age  advances,  till,  by  the  thirtieth  year,  or  by  the  time  the  quadruped 
has  attained  half  the  period  of  its  natural  existence,  the  front  teeth  have 
become  long  spikes,  and  are  actual  deformities  within  the  mouth  they 
were  designed  to  adorn. 

So  palpable  a  sign  is,  however,  not  understood.  To  be  sure,  the 
present  treatment  of  the  horse  slaughters  the  majority  of  its  fellows  before 
dentition  is  perfected.  Few  gentlemen,  therefore,  may  have  looked  upon 
an  aged  quadruped ;  for  prevailing  fashion  declares  the  creature,  whose 
strength  and  youth  have  been  devoted  to  man's  pleasure,  should  be  sold 
so  soon  as  the  advent  of  age  is  apparent.  The  chances,  consequently, 
are,  that  the  present  chapter  will  be  "news"  to  the  greater  number  of 
readers.  It  may  record  facts  which  will  be  perused  with  wonder,  and  it 
may  adduce  circumstances  which  will  be  read  with  surprise. 

Though  up  to  the  present  moment  these  things  may  not  have  been 
properly  regarded,  from  the  present  time  there  can  be  no  excuse  for  con- 
tinuing existing  customs.  Why  should  the  teeth  of  the  horse  alone  be 
subjected  to  abuse?  The  dog  lives  ofi"  biscuits  and  cooked  flesh;  the 
cat  enjoys  the  scraps  from  the  family  table.  Why  should  the  horse,  of 
all  strictly  domesticated  creatures,  be  doomed  to  consume  raw  food  ?  It 
would  be  cheaper  to  prepare  all  sustenance  for  digestion,  since,  in  that 
form,  less  would  communicate  more  nourishment;  and  if  the  matter  is 
to  be  decided  as  a  money  question,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  side 
on  which  pecuniary  interest  would  range. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FOOD THE  FITTEST   TIME   FOR   FEEDING,  AND   THE   KIND   OP   FOOD   WHICH 

THE   HORSE   NATURALLY  CONSUMES. 

The  folly  of  perversity  or  the  madness  of  abuse  can  imagine  no  pos- 
sible wrong  that  the  human  race  have  not  inflicted  upon  the  creature  to 
which  civilization  owes  its  heaviest  obligations.  The  horse,  which  more 
than  shares  in  mortal  toil,  is  forced  to  work  before  its  bones  are  matured. 
When  strained  and  deformed  by  the  severity  of  labor,  it  is  sworn  at  and 
lashed  because  its  body  shares,  with  all  things  on  this  earth,  the  perish- 
ableness  which  is  inseparable  from  mortal  existence.  It  is  created  to 
enjoy  the  freest  breezes  of  the  plain ;  but,  by  the  superior  power  which 
has  domesticated,  the  type  of  activity  is  doomed  to  stand,  throughout 
life,  within  the  narrow  confines  of  a  stall.  It  is  the  emblem  of  timidity ; 
yet  it  is  driven  into  every  species  of  peril.  Nature  endowed  it  with 
fleetness,  and  formed  it  to  delight  in  action ;  but  mankind  expect  it  to 
exhibit  health  during  years  of  inactivity,  and  think  its  limbs  should  not 
become  stiff  from  incessant  lack  of  motion. 

Its  food  grows  abundantly  on  the  surface  of  earth;  every  fresh 
mouthful  necessitates  an  additional  step;  for  the  animal,  when  free, 
walks  as  it  eats,  and  lowers  the  head,  to  collect  its  sustenance  from  the 
ground.  Mankind  imprisons  the  poor  life ;  the  hay  is  placed  level  with 
the  ears,  and  the  corn  is  given  even  with  the  chest  of  the  animal.  Nay, 
the  very  groom,  when  he  permits  water  to  be  imbibed,  raises  the  pail, 
resting  its  edge  upon  his  knee.  Nature  enabled  the  horse  to  feed  by 
night, — when  the  air  is  cool ;  when  all  is  quiet ;  when  the  grass  is  moist, 
and  when  the  flies  are  not  abroad  :  then  the  emblem  of  concord  pastures 
in  peacefulness.  The  stabled  horse  is  allowed  to  eat  only  by  day. 
Though  intended  to  be  watchful,  horse  masters  insist  the  wakeful  quad- 
ruped should  accept  twelve  hours  of  repose ;  and  they  lock  the  stable 
door,  that  its  imaginary  slumbers  may  be  undisturbed. 

The  sufferer  wears  clothes  only  while  under  shelter.     During  summer 

it  always  retains  its  coat ;  but,  as  frost  and  snow  approach,  the  covering 

which  nature  sent  to  conserve  the  body's  warmth  human  wisdom  either 

clips  or  singes,  away,  dooming  the  native  of  a  sunny  chme  to  sbivep  in 

(168) 


FOOD.  169 

the  blast  of  a  northern  winter,  Man  knows  that  heat  benefits  his  slave , 
yet  the  horse  only  feels  it  as  the  product  of  impurity ;  so  that,  either  it 
must  suffer  from  the  lowness  of  temperature,  or  it  must  languish  from 
the  inhalation  of  a  tainted  atmosphere. 

The  summit  of  wrong,  however,  seems  to  be  attained,  when  we  con- 
sider the  food  which  the  companion  of  man  is  condemned  to  consume 
within  the  walls  of  its  dungeon.  The  corn  is  gathered  after  it  has 
become  ripe,  or  after  all  moisture  has  ceased  to  circulate  within  the 
grain;  and  even  then  it  must  be  hardened  and  further  dried  by  age 
before  it  is  cast  into  the  manger.  The  juicy  jierbage  of  the  field — the 
soft  verdure  of  the  earth — is  the  natural  support  of  the  creature.  Never- 
theless, man  presents  grass  to  his  captive  only  after  the  wind  and  the 
sun  have  expelled  moisture  from  the  stems;  and  after  fermentation  in 
the  stack  often  has  parched  the  blades  till  these  crumble  beneath  the 
touch.  ' 

When  time  has  accomplished  the  hardening  which  human  perversity 
regards  as  most  essential  toward  maintaining  the  health  of  a  horse; 
when  both  com  and  hay  have  been  transformed  into  stubborn  and  un- 
yielding substances;  at  the  age  when  the  first  will  rattle  harshly  on 
being  shaken  in  the  sieve,  and  the  last  grate  audibly  when  moved  by  the 
fork, — then,  only  then,  is  either  placed  before  the  quadruped.  Such 
provision  the  prisoner  must  consume  or  starve.  Hunger  is  the  hardest 
of  all  task -masters.  The  dumb  being  cannot  tell  of  the  agony  occasioned 
by  man's  forcing  its  organ's  of  mastication  to  uses  which  will  wear  down 
the  hardest  and  coarsest  of  stones ;  it  cannot  portray  the  torment  of 
thirst,  begotten  by  the  long  pulverization  of  matter  rendered  tough  and 
dry  by  artificial  processes;  it  cannot  describe  the  agony  produced  by  the 
grating  of  such  nutriment  upon  the  tender  membrane  of  the  stomach; 
nor  can  it  announce  those  cruel  diseases  which  afflict  the  sufferer, — each 
being  engendered  by  mistaken  treatment,  against  which  the  afflicted  is 
powerless  to  appeal. 

That  which  the  mouth  .was  designed  to  prepare,  the  stomach  was 
intended  to  appropriate.  Moist  food  is  most  enjoyed  by  the  horse,  and 
moisture  is  likewise  imperative  for  the  completion  of  digestion.  Upon 
the  accomplishment  of  this  process  health  and  life  are  dependent.  There 
is  no  part  of  the  frame  which  is  endowed  with  an  independent  existence. 
By  that  which  the  root  absorbs,  the  remotest  twig  is  nourished.  The 
feet  or  the  limbs  may  fail ;  man  may  term  such  a  failure  a  misfortune, 
or  speak  of  it  as  an  accident ;  but  the  weakness  of  the  body  is  the  pri- 
mary necessity  of  almost  all  such  occurrences.  The  trunk  must  bend 
lefore  the  vigor  of  inflammation  can  be  displayed;  and  health  must  have 
deparied  before  the  presence  of  disease  is  possible. 


ITO  FOOD. 

"Nonsense!  folly!  downright  stupidity!"  some  sporting  reader  may 
exclaim.  "Look  at  all  men,  when  in  training.  Do  not  they,  during 
such  time,  live  upon  dry  foodV^  Certainly  not.  Not  upon  food  "dry" 
in  the  same  sense  as  is  implied  by  the  sound  Jaay  and  seasoned  oats  of 
the  stable.  Bread,  seen  upon  any  human  table,  whether  as  loaf  or  bis- 
cuit, is  a  moist  substance,  when  compared  with  either  of  the  articles  on 
which  horses  subsist.  But  what  shall  be  said  about  the  contents  of  the 
rack  or  the  manger,  when  compared  with  the  under-done  rump  steak  of 
which  man,  when  in  training,  so  frequently  partakes  ? 

Nor  is  the  subject  fairly  reviewed,  when  the  form  of  food  is  alone 
considered.  The  horse  does  not  graze  without  selection.  Certain  herbs 
are  scrupulously  avoided;  others  are  eagerly  sought  for.  The  animal 
does  not  eat  straight  before  it ;  but  the  head  moves  to  either  side,  each 
mouthful  being  carefully  collected  with  the  lips  before  the  juicy  tops  of 
the  plants  are  operated  upon  by  the  teeth.  The  horse  feeds  only  off  the 
growing  ends  of  the  grasses.  The  varying  herbage  may  be  supposed 
to  present  numerous  savors  to  the  keen  scent  of  the  pasturer ;  and  a 
fresh  flavor  may  be  relished  with  each  new  mouthful.  Nature  has  evi- 
dently scattered  variety,  where  the  dull  sense  of  man  can  perceive  only 
sameness ;  and,  to  the  temperate  palate  of  a  horse,  the  verdure  of  the 
fields  may  afford  a  delicious  and  an  ever-varying  banquet. 

The  instinct  which  enables  the  animal  to  make  a  selection  among 
numberless  growing  plants,  fades  and  is  lost  when  moisture  has  departed 
with  the  color,  and  the  perfume  natural  to  the  herbage  has  been  changed 
by  art.  The  animal  perceptions  may  be  puzzled ;  for  art  can  defeat  in- 
stinct. Some  quadrupeds,  as  if  much  perplexed,  will  pick  the  hay, 
eating  little,  but  spoiling  more  than  is  consumed.  Others  appear  to 
distaste  the  preparation,  and  these  refuse  it  altogether.  Few  inhabitants 
of  the  stable  will  accept  ail  that  may  be  placed  before  them,  though  the 
rejection  may  depend  more  upon  the  fastidiousness  begotten  by  captivity, 
than  be  generated  by  positive  dislike.  Few  animals  exhibit  either  choice 
or  discretion  in  the  selection  of  certain  portions  of  prepared  fodder.  The 
rejection  of  particular  parts  seems  to  be  guided  only  by  fancy  or  caprice. 
That  which  in  the  green  state  would  be  abhorred,  when  "  cut  and  dried" 
may  by  preference  be  devoured. 

We  can  reasonably  conclude  that  the  impulses  of  instinct,  being  natural 
instructors,  convey  wise  ladmonitions.  Many  people  are  so  credulous  as 
to  believe  that  the  Creator  is  all-wise,  and  that  nothing  formed  by  the 
will  of  Omnipotence  is  without  a  special  purpose.  It  is  man  who 
converts  grass  into  hay;  thus  rendering  nugatory  that  discrimination 
which  was  bestowed  as  a  protection  upon  the  lower  life. 

Some  persons  may  feel  disposed  to  assert  that  all  power  to  injure  is 


FOOD.  Ill 

also  lost,  when  the  natural  odor  of  prepared  herbage  has  been  changed ; 
they  may  argue  that  what  was  injurious,  with  the  scent  has  also  lost 
the  characteristic  capability  to  harm.  Docs  chemistry  uphold  such  a 
conclusion  ?  The  dried  and  powdered  herbs  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  point 
to  an  opposite  inference.  Experience  and  experiment  warrant  a  con- 
trary judgment.  The  yew-tree  is  an  active  poison  to  the  horse.  Gar- 
deners annually  clip  the  compact  hedges  of  yew,  which  too  frequently 
surround  and  shelter  country  lawns.  The  twigs  often  fall  into  fields 
where  horses  are  pastured.  While  the  cuttings  remain  green,  the  ani- 
mals recognize  the  poisonous  nature  and  refuse  to  partake  of  the  fallen 
leaves.  But  let  exposure  dry  the  refuse,  and  the  grasses  of  the  meadow 
are  deserted,  to  devour  that  which  was  previously  avoided.  The  poison, 
however,  has  not  evaporated  with  moisture.  The  odor,  by  which  danger 
was  recognized,  alone  has  been  lost ;  but  the  deadly  nature  seems  to  be 
more  concentrated:  or  the  issue  may  be  rendered  speedier  by  the  les- 
sened bulk  of  the  dried  vegetable,  and  the  greater  amount  of  it  which 
therefore  can  be  swallowed. 

Apply  the  above  illustration,  and,  guided  by  its  teaching,  say  how  far 
man  is  justified  in  presenting  the  wholesale  gathering  of  a  field  to  a 
hungry  horse.  It  is  true,  we  know  of  no  injury  being  produced  by  hay. 
But  we  know  that  the  stable,  as  at  present  managed,  is  far  from  a  health- 
ful abode.  We  are  certain,  instinct  was  not  created  without  a  pui-pose ; 
and  we  have  seen  that  the  vegetable,  which  is  avoided  when  fresh,  is 
not  rendered  powerless  by  its  moisture  being  expelled.  Therefore, 
guided  by  such  monitors,  we  can  do  no  wrong  by  endeavoring  to  render 
hay  a  wholesome  food.  None  of  the  grasses  are  positively  poisonous; 
but  the  animal  prefers  those  which  have  a  crisp  and  clean  appearance. 
Soft  or  woolly  provender  is  never  relished.  It  were  an  easy  labor  for  a 
youth  to  select  the  good  from  the  bad ;  while  doing  this,  the  boy  might 
be  instructed  to  reject  all  and  everything  which  was  not  the  fitting  kind 
of  grass.  The  cost  of  such  a  process  would  be  very  trifling,  and  the 
welfare  of  the  animal  might  soon  repay  all  extra  outlay. 

However,  few,  very  few  people  know  how  to  tell  a  good  from  a  bad 
sample  of  hay.  Yast  quantities  of  that  which  no  proprietor  should 
oblige  his  imprisoned  slaves  to  consume,  are  daily  sold;  some  persons 
even  prefer  particular  kinds  of  produce;  while  others,  urged  by  par- 
simony, will  purchase  only  damaged  hay.  There  should  be,  however, 
in  this  substance  little  room  for  the  exercise  of  choice  or  of  discretion. 
The  characteristics  of  good  hay  are  very  marked,  and  such  only  should 
be  purchased  by  the  careful  horse  owner. 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  author  to  ofier  some  remarks  upon  this  sim- 
ple but  excessively  important  topic.    The  comments  will  be  accompanied 


172 


FOOD. 


with  tinted  wood  engravings,  which  will  help  the  judgment,  though  these 
cannot  inform  the  reader  on  every  particular.  Therefore,  he  must  kindly 
assist  the  writer,  as  few  things  are  more  difficult  to  describe  than  taste 
or  smell ;  since  these  senses  are  always  under  the  control  of  individual 
-predilection. 


LAD  SORTING   HAT. 


Upland  Hay  should  look  clean.  Every  fiber  should  appear  distinct. 
The  color  should  be  bright  and  should  convey  an  idea  of  newness.  No 
dust  ought  to  be  present ;  neither  should  the  sample,  however  much  it 
may  have  been  disturbed,  lose  its  prominent  features.  The  constituents 
will  all  point  pretty  much  in  one  direction.  Of  course  this  order  is  not 
so  absolute  as  to  appear  like  arrangement,  but  the  confusion  which  gen- 
erally marks  the  fibers  of  the  after-meath  is  never  present  in  a  fair 
sample  of  well-carried  "Upland  hay."  The  scent  is  commonly  very 
pleasant — not  so  strong  as,  but  in  other  respects  little  difi"erent  from,  the 
perfume  of  new-mown  hay :  to  most  people  its  odor  is  highly  agreeable. 
Weeds  should  not  be  abundant ;  but  the  presence  of  foreign  growths  is 
clearly  indicated  by  their  darker  hue,  by  the  browner  tint,  and  the  fuller 
form.  The  stems  should  not  have  shed  the  seeds,  though  grasses  vary 
so  much  in  the  period  of  their  ripening  that  it  is  vain  to  expect  some 
will  not  have  broken  this  rule.     When  a  portion  is  placed  within  th? 


FOOD.  1*73 

mouth  and  is  masticated,  it  rather  communicates  a  mila  and  pleasant 
flavor  than  yields  a  strong  or  pungent  taste.  In  short,  cleanness  and 
delicacy  are  the  prominent  characteristics  of  "Upland  hay;"  which  some 
growers  imagine  is  scarcely  injured  by  long  keeping.  New  hay  is  cer- 
tainly objectionable.  But  the  year's  growth  is  wholesome  feed  by 
November ;  and,  in  the  author's  judgment,  it  is  best  when  it  first  comes 
into  use. 


THE   CHARACTER   AND   THE  COLOR   OF   UPLAND   HAT. 


Lowland  Hay. — This  kind  of  preserved  grass  lacks  the  bright  color, 
being  more  tawny  than  the  preceding ;  indeed,  the  absence  of  the  green 
tint  is  conspicuous,  and  can  hardly  fail  to  be  remarked.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  fibers  is  not  so  well  preserved,*neither  is  the  crispness  or  the 
newness  of  aspect,  for  which  "Upland  hay"  is  notable,  to  be  remarked 
in  the  "Lowland  truss."  The  flowering  heads  to  the  stems  are  all  but 
absent.  When  felt,  it  communicates  a  sense  of  softness.  If  rattled,  no 
brisk  sound  is  elicited.     It  has  a  stronger  and  a  more  pungent  perfume. 


THE  CHARACTER  AND   THE   COLOR   OF  LOWLAND   HAT. 


The  odor  is  very  far  from  being  so  delicate ;  neither  is  the  taste  char- 
acterized by  any  pleasantness  of  flavor.  When  placed  between  the 
teeth,  mastication  communicates  a  sense  of  softness  and  toughness :  the 
taste  is  coarse,  almost  disagreeable :  at  first  it  is  vapid,  though  after  a 
short  space  a  certain  amount  of  pungency  is  developed.  The  woolly 
texture ;  the  want  of  boldness  in  the  component  parts ;  their  comparative 
smallness ;  with  the  washed-out  aspect  of  the  whole,  and  the  confusion 
of  the  mass,  should  prevent  a  novice  even  from  accepting  "  Lowland  "  for 
"Upland  hay." 
Rowen  or  After-meatli  presents  a  greater  confusion  than  even  "  Low- 


114  FOOD. 

land  hay."  The  softness  is  more  conspicuous;  flowering  heads  are  only 
occasionally  met  with ;  the  stems  are  few  in  number,  are  small  in  point 
of  size,  and  forra  no  prominent  feature  of  the  whole.  This  species  of 
fodder  lacks  perfume  altogether ;  but,  as  regards  color,  it  may  have  a 
slight  greenish  tint  clinging  faintly  to  it.  Still,  by  its  want  of  the  brisk 
or  the  healthy  aspect,  and  by  its  darker  hue,  it  is  at  once  recognized  for 
the  thing  it  is, — an  unseasonable  produce,  reaped  late  in  the  year,  and 


A  VERT   FAIR   SAMPLE   OF  KOWEN   OR   OF   AFTEB-MEATH. 

got  up  long  after  the  freshness  of  spring  had  departed.  To  the  mouth 
it  imparts  a  strong  and  slightly  bitter  taste.  The  odor  is  not  objectiona- 
ble, although  it  does  not  approach  to  a  perfume.  Horses  which  have 
been  accustomed  to  the  better  sort,  refuse  Rowen,  or  only  accept  it  after 
actual  hunger  ha^  been  experienced. 

Clover  Hay  is  universally  mixed  with  grass  and  weeds.  A  good 
sample  of  this  produce,  a  novice  might  easily  reject  as  being  too  foul  a 
specimen  for  his  approval,  and  the  hay  of  the  second  crop  (which  is  not 
generally  remarkable  in  that  particular)  be  selected  in  preference.  The 
stems  also  appear  to  bear  a  large  proportion  to  the  whole,  when  compared 


A   SPECIMEN   OF   TUE   FIRST   CROP  OF   CLOVER   HAY 


with  the  flowers  and  the  leaves.  The  fact  of  the  stalks  being  rarely 
viewed  in  the  clover  field  may  render  this  feature  the  more  conspicuous. 
But  the  stems  are  hollow,  and  consequently  lose  little  bulk  when  dried. 
The  flowers  and  leaves,  on  the  contrary,  are  juicy ;  and  no  insignificant 
portion  of  their  substance  is,  apparently,  lost  during  evaporation.  In 
the  first  cut  of  clover,  however,  the  stems,  though  numerous,  are  compara- 
tively fine,  and  the  leaves,  though  dark,  have  no  tinge  of  blackness.    The 


FOOD.  /  1T5 

flowers  are  abundant,  and  faded,  of  course ;  but  they  still  retain  indica- 
tions of  their  original  color.  Though  compressed,  they  nevertheless 
suggest  what  has  once  been  their  figure.  In  taste,  a  marked  resemblance 
is  recognized  between  the  slight  flavor  of  the  hay  and  the  strong  aroma 
of  the  growing  plant. 

The  Second  Crop  of  Clover  is  distinguished  by  the  grasses  and  weeds 
of  the  first  cut  being  all  but  absent.  The  stems  are  larger,  firmer,  and 
bear  a  greater  proportion  to  the  whole.  The  flowers  are  not  so  numer- 
ous, and  are  more  dingy  in  appearance,  as  well  as  apparently  less  carefully 


THE   SECOND    CROP   OE   AFTER-MEATH   OF   OIX)VER. 


preserved.  Mastication  also  enables  to  be  recognized  a  coarser  and  a 
stronger  flavor  than  characterizes  good  hay  of  the  spring's  harvest.  The 
leaves  approach  near  to  a  black  tint.  When  a  truss  of  the  first  and  one 
of  the  second  crop  of  clover  are  placed  together,  the  last  appears  re- 
markable for  depth  of  color. 

Heated  or  Mow-burnt  Hay  is  that  which  has  been  subjected  to  such 
uncontrolled  fermentation   as   shall  scorch  the   substance,  and,  if  not 


A  VERY  EXCELLENT   SAMPLE   OF   HEATED   HAT. 


checked,  would  ultimately  fire  the  stack.  A  certain  amount  of  fermenta- 
tion is  needful  for  the  development  of  sound  hay,  but  should  the  necessary 
action  be  sufi'ered  to  proceed  too  far,  "heated  or  mow-burnt  hay"  is  the 
result.  Most  horses  will  eat  this  kind  of  fodder  with  appetite  when  it  is 
first  presented ;  but  after  the  novelty  of  the  diet  has  subsided,  there  are 
few  animals  which  do  not  apparently  loathe  such  produce.  The  illustra- 
tion by  no  means  represents  the  ^orst  specimen  which  the  author  has 
encountered,  but  it  is  of  that  medium  character  which  best  conveys  a  just 


176  FOOD. 

idea  of  a  general  subject.  From  this  sample,  however,  certain  leaves 
could  be  chosen  that  are  perfectly  black,  and  which,  when  attempted  to 
be  rolled  between  the  fingers,  would  crumble  into  powder.  Such  a 
peculiarity,  together  with  the  darkened  hue,  affords  the  easiest  means  of 
recognizing  this  provender,  which,  although  some  silly  people  by  prefer- 
ence employ  in  their  stables,  is  very  far  from  being  a  wholesome  food  for 
horses.  Burnt  vegetable  matter  produces  potash ;  therefore  there  can  be 
no  cause  to  reject,  as  a  groundless  prejudice,  the  assertion  that  much 
"mow-burnt  hay"  will  occasion  diabetes.  It  has  a  powerful  odor,  re- 
sembhng  the  mixed  smell  which  pervades  a  public  hay  market ;  but  the  • 
taste  has  little  to  distinguish  it,  being  somewhat  vapid. 

Weather-beaten  Hay  is  equally  devoid  of  smell  or  of  taste.  It  has  a 
ragged,  a  confused,  and  a  broken  aspect.  The  hue  is  deepened ;  but  the 
color  greatly  depends  upon  the  period  of  its  exposure,  the  soil  on  which 
it  has  lain,  the  amount  of  wet  to  which  it  has  been  subjected,  and  the 
condition  in  which  it  has  been  "got  up."    So  delicate  a  produce  as  care- 


WEATHER-BEATEN  HAT. 


fally  prepared  hay,  of  course  cannot  be  long  exposed  to  the  effects  of 
wind  and  rain  without  its  more  choice  qualities  being  deteriorated,  while 
to  the  extent  of  its  deterioration,  of  course  the  farmer  can  oppose  no 
check.  Therefore  a  fair  general  specimen,  exhibiting  the  common  char- 
acteristics of  the  majority  of  samples,  is  submitted  to  the  reader ;  but  it 
cannot  be  expected  that  a  single  illustration  should  embody  the  multi- 
form aspects  which  are  generated  by  diverse  and  powerful  influences 
acting  upon  a  perishable  substance. 

Musty  Hay  is  readily  recognized  by  its  strong  and  peculiar  smell, 
resembling  the  refuse  which  has  been  employed  to  stuff  articles  of  cheap 
furniture.  This  it  likewise  calls  to  mind  by  its  rumpled  and  confused 
appearance.  It  should  never  be  offered  to  any  animal  as  a  substitute 
even  for  better  food. 

"Upland  Hay,"  as  will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing  remarks,  is  a  fair 
general  fodder  for  the  horse.  To  it,  however,  a  portion  of  clover  hay 
should  be  added ;  but  this  last  is  besf  given  in  the  form  of  chaff.  Ready- 
cut  chaff  should  never  be  purchased,  because  most  persons  have  extraor- 


FOOD.  IT" 

dinary  notions  as  to  the  ingredients  suited  for  such  a  form  of  provender 
Hay,  which  the  animal  refuses  to  touch  when  placed  in  the  rack,  is  often 
salted  and  cut  into  chaff.  Thus  seasoned,  and  in  such  a  shape  being 
mixed  with  corn,  it  may  be  eaten.  The  horse  is  imposed  upon  by  the 
salt  and  the  oats  which  were  mingled  with  the  trash ;  but  the  sane  pro- 
prietor has  only  to  calmly  inquire  of  himself — whether  that  savor  which 
disguised  the  taste  can  also  change  an  unwholesome  substance  into  a 
wholesome  nutriment? 

It  is  likewise  a  prevailing  custom  to  cut  straws  of  different  kinds  and 
to  throw  the  rubbish  into  the  chaff  bin.  Such  a  practice  is  spoken  of  as 
among  the  improvements  of  modern  horse-feeding.  The  quadruped  may 
consume  this  species  of  refuse,  but  it  is,  in  the  author's  judgment,  not  a 
matter  for  doubt  whether  such  articles  merely  distend  the  stomach  or 
whether  they  can  nourish  the  body.  People  who  advocate  cheapness 
may  be  favorable  to  the  use  of  straw;  but  these  persons  should  not 
deceive  themselves,  far  less  ought  they  to  impose  upon  others,  by  assert- 
ing so  exhausted  a  material  can  possibly  prove  a  supporting  constituent 
of  diet. 

Within  the  stem  of  the  ripened  wheat  plant  no  sap  circulates.  All 
the  strength  of  the  growth  has  gone  to  the  seed.  Were  not  the  sa^jless 
stalk  cut  and  preserved  by  man,  it  would  shortly  topple  over,  and,  by 
decay,  be  mingled  with  the  soil.  It  is  well  understood  that  grass,  after 
it  has  shed  its  seed,  is  unsuited  for  making  a  nutritious  hay.  Grain- 
yielding  plants  are  only  cultivated  grasses ;  and  the  art  which  has  en- 
larged the  seed  and  lengthened  the  stem  cannot  pretend  also  to  have 
mastered  the  laws  of  natur^  by  having  endowed  a  refuse  material  with 
nutritious  properties.  Persons  who  desire  to  have  straw  mingled  with 
the  manger  food  of  the  horse,  should  take  some  pains  to  procure  articles 
rightfully  prepared.  The  plants  should  be  mown  while  green ;  be  prop- 
erly treated,  stacked,  and  husbanded  with  more  than  the  care  usually 
bestowed  on  ordinary  stems.  The  same  rule  should  be  observed  with 
j'egard  to  bean  stalks,  or  whatever  else  is  to  be  severed  into  lengths,  and 
is  to  be  esteemed  a  fitting  food  for  the  horse. 

Thus  prepared,  the  wheat  stem  might  prove  worthy  the  repute  which 
is  at  present  bestowed  upon  its  exhausted  representative.  When  har- 
vested after  this  plan,  the  stalk  would  retain  all  that  virtue  which,  at  a 
later  season,  is  expended  upon  the  seed.  It  would  nourish  as  well  as 
distend.  Indeed,  the  popular  custom  of  giving  horses  that  for  food 
which  adds  to  the  bulk  of  provender,  but  does  not  support  the  system, 
cannot  be  too  strongly  reprobated ;  yet  such  a  practice  is  followed  in  the 
great  majority  of  existing  stables.  The  animals,  to  satisfy  the  cravings 
of  appetite,  are  compelled  to  devour  more  than  their  diminutive  stom- 

12 


ITS  FOOD. 

achs  should  contain.  Over-gorging  is  likewise  promoted  by  the  habit 
of  subjecting  all  kinds  of  horses  to  prolonged  and  unnatural  periods  of 
abstinence.  The  consequences  of  such  customs  are  exemplified  in  the 
attenuated  stomachs  of  most  old  subjects.  Often  this  viscus,  upon  the 
muscular  and  secretive  actions  of  which  the  health  and  the  strength  are 
dependent,  when  taken  from  the  body  of  an  animal  which  has  long  been 
subjected  to  the  abuses  practiced  in  the  modern  stables,  is  of  so  stretched 
a  nature  as  to  be  semi-transparent,  and  sometimes  as  thin  as  brown 
p&per. 

When  a  horse  returns  home,  after  a  long  fast,  it  is  most  unwise  to 
place  the  famished  life  before  a  heaped  manger.  First  attend  to  its 
immediate  requirements.  These  satisfied,  and  the  harness  removed,  a 
pail  of  gruel  should  be  offered  to  the  animal.  The  writer  knows  it  is 
said  by  many  grooms  that  their  horses  will  not  drink  gruel ;  the  author 
likewise  is  aware  that  most  servants  dislike  the  bother  attendant  on  its 
preparation,  while  few  understand  the  manner  in  which  it  should  be 
prepared.  The  general  plan  is  to  stir  a  little  oatmeal  into  any  pail 
containing  hot  water,  and  to  offer  the  mess,  under  the  name  of  gruel, 
to  the  palate  which  long  abstinence  may  have  rendered  fastidious.  The 
horse  only  displays  its  intelligence  when  it  rejects  the  potion  thus  rudely 
concocted. 

No  stable  is  complete  unless  its  furniture  embraces  a  two-gallon  pot, 
and  a  pail  which  is  kept  sacred  to  cleanly  purposes.  Then,  with  regard 
to  oatmeal;  this  substance,  as  commonly  sold  by  corn-chandlers,  and 
some  bakers,  is  positively  rank.  It  is  naturally  sweeter  even  than  other 
meals ;  but,  by  long  keeping,  it  contracts  a  jmngent  and  a  most  unpleas- 
ant taste.  To  be  good,  it  should  be  fresh ;  and  the  coarser  it  is,  the  finer 
is  the  gruel  which  it  yields. 

There  are  few  places  in  London  where  the  oatmeal  which  is  purchased 
can  be  depended  upon.  The  writer,  however,  has  for  several  months 
enjoyed,  every  morning  and  night,  a  mess  of  most  excellent  porridge, 
made  from  coarse  Scotch  or  "round"  meal  procured  of  Mr.  C.  Rayment, 
corn-chandler.  Queen's  Buildings,  Knightsbridge.  It  is  so  sweet  and 
pleasant  that  the  diet  requires  no  "Kitchener,"  or  accompanying  condi- 
ment, to  recommend  it.  The  preparation  is  eaten  without  flavoring; 
and  it  seems  to  possess  medicinal  properties,  as  under  its  use  the  writer 
has  lost  that  yellowness  of  skin  which  formerly  denoted  the  liver  to  be 
deranged,  while  he  is  rapidly  regaining  health,  and  has  entirely  discarded 
the  employment  of  drugs. 

One  quart  of  Mr.  C.  Rayment's  Scotch  oatmeal  should  be  thrown  into 
the  two-gallon  pot,  which  is  to  be  gradually  filled  with  boiling  water,  a 
little  cold  being  first  used,  merely  to  divide  the  grains.     The  saucepan 


FOOD.  1T9 

IS  then  placed  on  the  fire,  and  its  contents  are  to  be  briskly  stirred  unal 
the  liquid  has  boiled  for  ten  minutes.  After  this,  it  may  be  put  where 
it  will  only  just  simmer ;  and,  in  one  hour,  the  gruel  will  be  ready,  or 
in  shorter  time,  should  the  fire  be  fierce.  The  liquid  is  then  poured 
through  a  sieve,  or  should  the  steed  be  excessively  exhausted,  the  gruel 
may  be  mixed  with  one  quart  of  sound  ale  and  with  half  a  pound  of 
sugar.  The  solid  part  is  mingled,  while  hot,  with  an  equal  quantity 
of  bran,  and  this  mixture,  having  been  closely  covered,  is  placed  in  the 
manger  half  an  hour  after  the  gruel  has  been  imbibed. 

Some  horses,  however,  purge  when  brought  home  after  a  long  fast. 
Such  animals  are  generally  of  a  loose  and  weakly  constitution.  For 
creatures  of  this  description  the  bran  would  prove  injurious,  and  an 
additional  pint  of  meal  had  better  be  boiled  in  a  quart  of  water,  which, 
when  mixed  with  the  solid  from  which  the  gruel  has  been  strained,  will 
constitute  a  moist  and  highly  nutritious  diet  for  a  delicate  horse.  The 
author  has,  for  experiment,  tried  this  form  of  food  upon  several  quad- 
rupeds, which  he  was  assured  abhorred  everything  like  mash  or  gruel ; 
but  only  in  one  instance  was  the  preparation  not  eagerly  consumed.  In 
the  exceptional  case  it  was  not  entirely  rejected,  being  partly  eaten ;  but 
the  writer  suspects  the  apparently  dainty  quadruped  had  been  previously 
supplied  with  a  more  than  usual  quantity  of  oats,  as  the  behavior  rather 
testified  to  want  of  appetite  than  denoted  any  positive  dislike  of  the 
nourishment  which  was  before  the  animal. 

Besides  hay,  corn  is  commonly  used  in  this  country  as ,  a  food  for 
horses.  The  corn  of  the  English  stable  is  almost  confined  to  oats.  In 
foreign  lands  various  substances  are  employed.  General,  however,  as 
the  adoption  of  oats  may  be  in  this  kingdom,  few,  very  few  persons, 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  corn  market,  have  any  distinct  notion  concern- 
ing this  kind  of  grain.  With  the  vast  majority  an  oat  is  an  oat,  and  all 
oats  are  of  one  kind.  In  exceptional  cases,  gentlemen  are  partial  to  oats 
of  some  particular  hue.  Certain  persons  will  purchase  only  a  black  oat; 
another  class  prefer  a  full  golden  tint,  to  distinguish  the  kind  they  favor ; 
while  a  few  admire  a  whiteness  of  husk.  Such  differences,  however, 
do  not  affect  the  grain ;  the  colors  are  limited  to  the  chaff — the  kernels 
of  all  are  of  one  tint. 

The  kernel,  or  the  mealy  substance  of  oats,  differs  in  each  variety  of 
corn.  One  sample  shall  be  thick  in  the  husk,  and  possessed  of  a  super- 
abundance of  beard ;  but  the  body  of  such  corn  will  be  narrow,  also  of 
contrasting  sizes  and  of  various  colors. 

The  inferior  specimens  are  commonly  mixed  with  other  seeds,  with 
pieces  of  stick  and  portions  of  straw,  as  well  as  sometimes  adulterated 
by  the  piesence  of  other  grain.     These  oats  may  impart  a  saltish  flavor 


ibO 


FOOD. 


to  the  taste ;  likewise  they  may  have  a  faint,  smoky,  or  fusty  odor.  Such 
corn  seldom  weighs  more  than  twenty -two  pounds  to  the  bushel. 


KONISBEEQ  OATS. 


PETERSBURG  OATS. 


Another  sample,  of  a  different  country,  will  rattle  briskly  as  it  is 
poured  from  the  bulk  into  the  palm.  Such  has  a  clean  aspect  and 
almost  a  metallic  luster.  It  is  full  or  plump,  being  positively  beardless, 
and  exhibits  no  more  husk  than  is  needed  to  surround  the  kernel  of  such 
grain.  When  attentively  scrutinized,  perhaps  no  specimen  of  oats  will 
be  found  to  be  all  of  one  size;  but  no  very  striking  inequalities  will 
catch  the  attention,  when  the  better  sort  are  viewed.  These  are  entirely 
tasteless ;  and  do  not  even  suggest  the  possibility  of  a  scent  appertain- 
ing to  them.  Corn  of  this  quality  is  too  valuable  not  to  be  carefully 
harvested ;  consequently  the  hardest  pressure  of  the  thumb  nail  leaves 
no  indentation ;  while  the  kernel  rather  chips  than  tears  asunder,  when 
compressed  between  the  teeth. 


BEST  SCOTCH  OATS. 


EKOLISH  OATS,  FROM  CANADIAN  SEED. 


The  absence  of  beard,  however,  is  not  an  invariable  sign  of  excel- 
lence :  if  the  weight  per  bushel  be  heavy,  this  feature  should  not  be  too 
strongly  insisted  upon.  Some  good  com  is  distinguished  by  a  greater 
length  of  husk  than  is  requisite  simply  to  surround  the  kernel ;  but  such 


FOOD. 


181 


atones  for  this  peculiarity  by  the  bulk  of  the  grain.  It  is  true  that  a 
sample  of  this  kind  seldom  attains  to  the  highest  weight,  and  the  pur- 
chaser loses  somewhat  by  an  excess  of  chaff. 


NBW  IRISH   FEED   OATS. 


FIRST  CLASS  SWEDES. 


Yet  in  England,  which  country  on  the  continent  is  esteemed  to  be  a 
land  of  horses,  very  few  stables  are  supplied  with  other  grain  than  that 
of  an  inferior  description.  The  better  kind  is  bought  by  the  miller  and 
the  trainer  of  racers  or  hunters.  The  inferiority  of  most  corn,  however, 
seems  not  to  disturb  domestic  tranquillity.  The  majority  of  proprietors 
open  an  account  with  some  neigliboring  chandler,  and  the  groom  is 
empowered  to  fetch  the  provender,  which  the  horses  are  supposed  to 
consume.  Dealers  in  grain  do  not  enjoy  unsullied  reputations.  It  is  a 
custom  with  grooms  to  exact  ten  or  five  per  cent,  on  all  the  master's 
bills  which  refer  to  the  stable.  The  gentleman,  therefore,  always  pur- 
chases his  fodder  very  dearly,  where  such  an  arrangement  exists. 

Oats  should  never  be  bought  by  measurement,  but  should  invariably 
be  purchased  by  weight.  A  prime  sample  will  weigh  forty-eight  pounds 
to  the  bushel;  whereas  the  author  has  heard  of,  although  he  does  not 
pretend  to  have  seen,  oats  so  very  light  that  the  same  bulk  was  only 
equivalent  to  sixteen  pounds.  However,  a  grain  which  is  professed 
merely  to  reach  twenty-two  pounds  is  to  be  met  with  in  every  market. 

The  difference  of  weight  should  be  more  than  accompanied  by  an 
equivalent  diminution  of  price:  because  a  prime  oat  of  forty-eight 
pounds  will  yield  thirty-six  pounds  of  pure  grain,  after  the  chaff  has 
Deen  removed.  A  fair  oat  gives  half  its  weight  of  kernel ;  but  an  ex- 
cellent sample  will  afford  three-quarters  of  its  entire  weight  in  prime 
nutritious  substance;  whereas  a  poor  specimen  will  produce  no  more 
than  eight  pounds  of  clean  corn  to  the  bushel  measure ! 

Consequently,  supposing  a  choice  sample  to  sell  for  thirty-six  shil- 
fings,  the  inferior  article  can  be  worth  only  eight  shillings  the  quarter; 
for  no  man  can  esteem  the  husk  as  a  food  suitable  for  any  living  creat- 


182  FOOD. 

ure,  nor  would  any  person  purchase  such  utter  refuse,  even  at  the  frac- 
tion of  a  penny  per  pound.  Cheapness,  in  such  particulars,  is  therefore 
very  far  from  the  truest  economy. 

Most  chandlers  do  not  keep  the  better  specimens  of  oats.  With  the 
majority,  thirty-six  pounds  is  about  the  prime  standard.  As  a  proof  of 
the  correctness  of  the  above  assertion,  the  author,  a  few  months  ago, 
visited  a  friend,  and  being  grieved  to  see  that  the  best  price  was  paid 
for  an  inferior  oat,  he  purposed  to  call  on  all  the  neighboring  dealers  in 
corn,  inquiring  for  grain  of  only  forty  pounds  weight.  Even  this  the 
writer  was  unable  to  obtain — all  naming  thirty-six  pounds  as  the  gravity 
of  the  highest  article  which  they  had  in  stock.  The  gentleman,  there- 
fore, who  determines  to  procure  only  the  choicest  corn,  must  purchase 
of  some  large  and  respectable  retail  dealer.  Should  any  chandler  assert 
the  impossibility  of  his  obtaining  the  heavier  kind  of  grain,  let  the  gen- 
tleman at  once  seek  some  tradesman  who  has  dealings  at  the  Corn 
Exchange,  where  any  quantity  of  any  species  of  grain  can  at  all  times 
be  secured,  without  further  trouble  than  usually  attends  upon  business 
transactions. 


HEAVY    AND   LIGHT    OATS  AS  EACH    LIES   IN   THE    MEASURE. 

The  animal  is  doubly  defrauded  where  poor  corn  is  served  out  by 
measure.  The  grain,  in  the  first  place,  contains  less  nourishment;  in 
the  next  place,  the  solid  bulk  is  not  the  same;  because  the  husks  not 
only  occupy  more  space,  for,  by  acting  as  props  to  one  another,  fre- 
quently clear  cavities  are  formed.  Therefore,  were  the  light  and  the 
heavy  corns,  required  to  fill  a  given  measure,  to  be  counted,  probably 
no  vast  difference  would  be  discovered  in  their  number.  The  reader 
must,  however,  himself  determine  how  far  it  is  possible  for  a  horse  to 
be  cheated,  without  the  master  suffering  from  the  fraud  in  its  effect. 

Further  injury  is  inflicted  by  permitting  the  quadruped  to  consume 
only  an  inferior  corn.  Whoever  will  carefully  examine  the  drawings  of 
oats  given  in  the  present  division  o]f  the  book,  can  hardly  fail  to  remark 
that  the  denuded  kernels  appear  of  a  size  disproportioned  to  that  repre- 
sented as  the  dimensions  of  the  perfect  grain.  The  microscope  makes 
plain  the  ^source  of  this  apparent  disparity.  The  epidermis  or  the 
covering  of  the  kernel  is  coated  with  numerous  fine  hairs,  which  are  too 
small  to  be  perceptible  to  the  vmaided  vision.     These  hairs  are  closely 


FOOD. 


183 


compressed  when  surrounded  by  the  natural  envelope;  but  when  re- 
leased from  the  husk,  the  hairs  expand,  and  thus  occasion  the  naked  eye 
to  behold  something  far  too  large  for  the  case  from  which  it  has  re- 
cently been  released. 


A  MAGNIFIED   ENGLISH   OAT. 


In  the  inferior  sorts,  the  hairs  are  rather  longer,  and  likewise  more 
numerous,  than  in  the  better  kind  of  corn ;  while,  of  course,  the  covering, 
according  to  the  smallness  of  the  grain,  becomes  serious,  when  regarded 
as  a  proportionate  weight  of  the  whole.  These  diminutive  hairs  are 
perfectly  indigestible  and  entirely  indestructible  when  taken  into  the 
stomach.  The  peristaltic  action  releases  them  from  the  surface  of  the 
kernel ;  being  set  free,  they  are  frequently  felted  together  by  the  moist- 
ure and  rolling  motion  of  the  stomach.  However  small  the  hairs  may 
be  separately,  nevertheless  by  their  union  they  form  masses  of  immense 
size,  provoking  such  serious  impactment  as  often  leads  to  a  terrible  and 


ILL1ISTIIA1<I0NS  or  THE  OAT  HAIR  CALCULUS.     COPIED  FROM  THE  INTERESTINa  WOEK  ON  OONCRETIDNS, 
BY   PROFESSOR   MORTON. 

1.  A  section  of  an  Oat  Hair  Calculus.  2.  Magnified  hairs,  mixed  with  crystals  of  the  phosphates. 
^.  Hairs,  further  magnified.  4.  Hairs,  so  enlarged  as  to  display  their  bulbous  insertions  and  curved 
forms. 


a  fatal  issue.     A  further  reason,  therefore,  exists  for  employing  good 
grain  in  the  possibility  of  such  accumulations,  the  true  nature  of  which 


184 


FOOD. 


was  first  pointed  out  by  Professor  Morton,  and  by  that  learned  gentle- 
man these  concretions  were  appropriately  designated  Oat  Hair  Calculi. 

It  has  long  been  known  that  digestion  is  promoted  by  crushing  the 
corn  before  placing  it  in  the  manger.  This  custom,  as  a  part  of  the 
proper  process,  cannot  be  too  highly  commended.  But  careless  horse 
owners  sometimes  purchase  the  stable  provender  in  a  crushed  state,  or 
send  to  have  this  process  performed  elsewhere  than  on  their  own  prem- 
ises. Such  habits  are  strongly  objected  to  ;  the  horse  is  surrounded  by 
so  much  dishonesty,  that  a  prudent  man  is  not  justified  in  trusting  the " 
animal's  food  to  the  possibility  of  exchange  or  of  adulteration. 

To  convey  to  the  reader  a  definite  notion  of  the  very  different  charac- 
ters impressed  upon  various  samples  of  oats,  the  following  illustrations 
of  a  few  of  those  which  were  kindly  supplied  by  a  wholesale  firm,  trans- 
acting business  at  the  Corn  Exchange,  are  here  presented. 


IRISH  OATS.     BLEACHED. 


SCOTCH  OATS.     SECOND  QUALITY. 


KILN-DEIEB  DANISH  OATS. 


FINLAND  BLACK   OATS. 


A  horse  owner  should  invariably  have  all  com  crushed  and  chaflf  cut 
on  his  premises.  The  necessary  machines  are  well  known,  and  will  soon 
repay  their  cost.  New  grain  will  not  break  or  crush,  but  will  rather 
leave  the  mill  flattened  or  bruised.  Com  of  this  description  is  easily 
told  by  its  being  soft  and  yielding ;  also  by  its  retaining  the  mark  made 


FOOD;  185 

by  the  pressure  of  the  thumb  nail.  Should  that  test  not  be  perfectly 
satisfactory,  a  convincing  proof  is  soon  obtained  by  placing  the  suspected 
grain  between  the  teeth.  A  sound  oat  should  be  dry  and  hard:  it 
should  almost  chip  asunder,  and  not  be  torn  or  broken  into  pieces  by 
compression.  In  the  autumn  months,  great  care  is  needed  to  procure 
sound  corn;  the  non-professional  purchaser  is,  perhaps,  best  protected, 
when  he  deals  for  such  an  article  With  responsible  trades-people,  who,  in 
their  business,  have  a  character  to  sacrifice. 


ENGUSH   FEED. 


It  is  a  custom  to  expel  the  moisture  from  new  grain  by  drying  it  in  a 
kiln.  It  is  thereby,  in  some  degree,  improved ;  but  it  cannot  be  said  to 
be  rendered  as  wholesome  as  sound  corn,  hardened  by  the  natural  pro- 
cess. Moreover,  oats  badly  harvested  or  damaged  by  wet  are  frequently 
placed  in  the  kiln,  where  they  are  exposed  to  the  sulphur,  in  order  to 
change  or  amend  their  color.  The  husks,  however,  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  process,  are  seldom  all  of  one  tint.  If  closely  examined,  indications 
of  the  original  defect  may  be  discovered  on  some  grains,  while  others 
will  be  of  an  unnatural  whiteness.  Kiln-dried  oats  sometimes  betray  a 
shriveled  aspect  on  that  part  which  is  near  to  the  beard,  such  puckering 
being  occasioned  by  the  sudden  expulsion  of  much  dampness  from  the 
interior.  The  best  test,  however,  is  the  rapid  rubbing  of  the  sample 
between  the  palms  of  the  heated  hands;  when,  should  sulphur  have 
been  employed,  its  peculiar  odor  will  be  developed. 

The  author  has  been  thus  careful  in  describing  the  signs  which 
declare  the  presence  of  sulphur,  because  that  mineral,  although  much 
employed  by  ordinary  farriers,  can  occasion  the  most  terrible  belly-ache, 
gripes,  fret,  or  spasms.  This  affection  is  one  of  the  most  fearful  to  which 
the  horse  is  subject,  and  is  the  more  to  be  dreaded,  as  it  too  often  leads 
to  other  complications.  Perhaps  a  greater  number  of  animals  annually 
perish  through  causes  resulting  from  spasms,  than  die  under  any  other 
squine  ailment. 


186 


FOOD. 


Healthy  corn,  having  been  bruised,  is  not  even  then  properly  prepared 
for  the  equine  digestion.  The  stomach  of  the  horse  is  a  delicate  mem- 
braneous sac,  which  is  easily  perforated  or  ruptured.  It  has  no  provi- 
sion suited  to  digest  hard  corn,  neither  are  the  teeth  of  the  animal  fitted 
to  masticate  so  resistant  a  substance.  Unlike  the  similar  organs  in  man, 
the  equine  tooth  is  destined  to  wear  by  attrition,  and  anything  calculated 
to  hasten  that  process  equally  diminished  the  existence  of  the  animal. 
The  inappropriateness  of  the  stable  and  its  food  must  be  the  reason  why 
English  horses  are  so  lamentably  short  lived.  The  quadruped  was,  ac- 
cording to  the  briefest  calculation,  designed  to  exist  for  forty  years ;  but 
the  majority  in  this  country  cease  to  breathe  before  they  attain  the  sixth 
birthday.  How  much  money  is  thereby  sacrificed !  How  much  bar- 
barity is  by  this  lamentable  mortality  proved  to  exist !  What  a  terrible 
amount  of  unmerited  abuse  must  be  yearly  perpetrated !  What  a  lack 
of  appreciation  of  the  Creator's  goodness  is  exemplified  by  the  cruelty 
which  thus  shortens  the  duration  of  His  choicest  gift  to  the  human 
race  1 

Prior  to  the  grain  being  placed  before  the  horse,  it  should  be  softened. 
Where  a  building  is  heated  by  steam,  the  accomplishment  of  this  would 
always  be  at  command.  Let  each  feed  of  corn  and  every  portion  of  hay, 
whether  cut  into  chaff  or  not,  be  cooked  by  being  exposed  to  the  action 
of  the  vapor  for  a  couple  of  hours.     Moisture,  in  the  form  of  steam,  is 


APPARATUS  FOR  PREPARINa  HORSES'  FOOD. 

a  a.  Pipes,  having  stop-cocks  to  regulate  the  Bteam  and  to  allow  It  to  circulate  when  the  holler  is  not 
employed. 
bb,bb.  An  iron  pot,  having  a  close-fitting  lid,  hut  pierced  to  admit  the  steam  pipes, 
c  c.  A  shifting  interior  case,  made  with  a  perforated  bottom. 

dd.  A  layer  of  straw  or  of  hay  to  prevent  the  crushed  grain  clogging  the  openings. 
eee.  The  broken  corn  undergoing  the  process  of  being  prepared. 
f.  A  small  tap  to  drain  oflf  the  condensed  fluid. 


known  to  be  very  penetrating ;  and  the  ingredients  of  the  manger,  when 
thus  prepared,  are  always  more  relished  than  in  the  raw  condition,  while 
the  liquid  which  drains  from  the  provender  will  prove  a  highly  grateful 
and  a  most  nutritious  beverage  to  the  tired  quadruped. 

Hard  substances  taken  into  the  stomach  of  a  horse  are  well  known  to 


FOOD.  187 

derange  the  animal's  system — a  fact  whicli  has  long  been  proved  to  the 
horse-copers  and  other  rogues  who  live  by  imposition.  A  pound  of  shot 
will,  for  a  time,  conceal  the  peculiar  breathing  characteristic  of  broken 
wind,  though  this  temporary  escape  from  an  outward  symptom  of  dis- 
ease is  often  followed  by  disastrous  consequences.  Hard  grain,  if  fired 
from  a  rifle,  would  prove  no  contemptible  missile ;  much  of  it  is  bolted 
by  the  quadruped  before  which  it  is  cast,  and  consequently  passes  out 
of  the  body  undigested.  The  actions  of  sparrows  and  the  luxuriant 
green  crops  which  often  adorn  the  tops  of  dunghills  are  both  evidences 
of  the  waste  attending  the  ordinary  mode  of  feeding. 

General,  all  but  universal,  as  the  employment  of  oats  may  be  in  this 
kingdom,  very  few  of  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  subjects  have  the  remotest 
idea  of  the  use  which. this  corn  subserves  in  the  animal  economy.  Drivers 
will  stop,  when  proceeding  upon  long  journeys,  and  order  their  nags  large 
feeds  of  oats,  to  enable  them  to  complete  the  distance,  or,  in  other  words, 
to  aid  the  muscular  power.  Corn,  however,  is  now  ascertained  to  gen- 
erate only  fat,  which  rather  detracts  from  than  favors  the  development 
of  motor  energy.  It  certainly  sounds  strangely,  after  the  expenditure 
of  millions  of  money,  after  ages  of  experience,  and  after  the  training  of 
horses  was  thought  to  have  been  fostered  into  a  science,  to  hear  it 
broadly  asserted  that  the  purpose  and  end  attained  by  the  administra- 
tion of  England's  favorite  feed  for  horses  is  totally  mistaken !  Such, 
however,  is  the  unvarnished  truth ;  the  gallops  or  the  sweats  that  fre- 
quently injure  animals  while  in  training  are  no  more  than  the  efforts  of 
ignorance  to  remove  those  consequences  which  its  own  acts  have  occa- 
sioned. They  are  attempts  to  get  rid  of  the  fat,  which  the  employment 
of  much  corn  has  naturally  produced. 

Besides  oats,  however,  beans  are  used  in  the  best  stables ;  but  there 
is  much  dispute  as  to  the  quantity  which  a  horse  can  advantageously 
consume.     The  English  field  bean  should  always  be  hardened  by  age 


ENGLISH  BEANS — A  GOOD  SAMPLE. 


before  it  is  suited  for  the  manger;  even  then,  it  should  be  prepared;  for 
a  substance  which,  when  rattled  in  a  measure,  emits  a  sound  like  to  that 
produced  by  so  many  pebbles  striking  one  against  the  other,  can  hardly 
be  in  a  condition  proper  for  comminution  between  most  sensitive  and 
highly -organized  members.     They  should  be  crushed  and  subjected  to 


183 


FOOD. 


the  action  of  steam,  wliicli  will,  in  a  couple  of  hours,  remove  the  objec- 
tionable quality  without  reducing  them  to  a  watery  mass. 

Horse  beans,  as  grown  in  England,  however,  are  very  coarse  and 
astringent  substances.  No  wonder  if  the  large  employment  of  such  pro- 
duce is  found  to  act  upon  the  bowels ;  surprise  should  be  expressed  if  so 


ENGLISH   BEANS — A   BAD   SAMPLE. 


harsh  a  food  could  be  consumed  without  inducing  constipation.     The 
Egyptian  bean,  nevertheless,  is  free  from  such  objectionable  properties, 


EGYPTIAN  BEANS— A  GOOD  SAMPLE. 


being  mild  and  sweet.  The  author  thinks  a  larger  quantity  of  this 
crushed  and  moistened  seed  might  be  with  benefit  presented  to  the  ani- 
mal. As  at  present  imported,  however,  it  is  very  imperfectly  harvested. 
Most  samples  exhibit  the  shriveled  and  the  discolored  skin,  which  de- 


EQTPIIAN  BEANS — A  BAD  SAMPLE. 


notes  the  sickle  was  resorted  to  before  the  plant  was  matured — an  error 
perfectly  inexcusable  in  a  climate  which  is  for  nine  months  of  the  year 
free  from  rain. 

Might  not  some  sound  Egyptian  beans  be  procured ;  from  these  could 
not  a  milder  and  better  species  of  bean  be  raised  in  this  country  ?     The 


FOOD.  189 

field  pea  is  open  to  the  same  condemnation ;  but  field  peas  are  not  gen- 
erally employed  in  stables.  Those  used  for  horses  are  small  and  white, 
of  foreign  growth,  and  quite  unobjectionable.  Tares  are  given  only  to 
farm  teams ;  but  .if  this  plant  possesses  only  a  tithe  part  of  those  virtues 
for  which  it  is  accredited,  its  employment  might  be  advantageously  ex- 
tended. Why  should  hay  be  made  only  of  grass  which,  though  admirable 
sustenance  for  the  bovine  tribe,  evidently  is  not  equally  suited  to  the 
equine  species  ?  The  dropsy  of  the  abdomen  and  legs  it  induces  in  nags, 
together  with  the  foulness  of  coat  which  it  engenders,  are  perhaps  the 
best  evidence  of  the  injury  that  attends  the  long  employment  of  green 
grass,  or  even  of  hay,  as  a  solitary  sustenance. 

Might  not  beans,  peas,  and  other  leguminous  substances  be  sown 
broadcast,  and  mown  when  in  flower  ?  Hay  thus  produced  would  be 
of  all  value  in  the  stable;  because  grass,  like  corn,  whether  exhibited 
green  or  dry,  simply  induces  fat ;  whereas  leguminous  plants  all  favor 
the  development  of  muscular  fiber  or  support  the  strength  of  the  body. 
Such  hay  might  be  charged  a  little  higher ;  but  then  its  feeding  value 
and  its  worth  as  a  promoter  of  condition  would  far  more  than  recompense 
any  extra  money  at  which  it  might  be  charged. 

It  may  be  asked  why,  if  hay  produces  fat,  are  the  horses  of  the  poor 
so  lamentably  lean,  since  such  quadrupeds  receive  little  else  than  hay  to 
sustain  them  ?  The  reasons  are  numerous.  The  hay  such  horses  obtain 
is  not  often  of  a  good  quality;  and  it  is  to  be  feared  the  stuff  is  not, 
frequently,  presented  in  sufficient  quantity  to  promote  obesity.  Besides, 
this  substance  leaves  the  muscular  power  unrefreshed.  The  frame  being 
exhausted  by  a  life  passed  in  exertion,  the  body's  weakness  effectually 
counteracts  all  tendency  to  fatten. 


A   MAGNIFIED   MUSTY   OAT. 


Beans  are  not  known  to  be  much  exposed  to  deterioration ;  but  oats 
are  liable  to  an  affection  of  the  epidermis  or  of  the  skin,  which  causes 
them  to  be  covered  with  little  granules  of  a  dark  color,  which  the  mi- 
croscope discovers  to  be  fungoid  growths  resembling  a  species  of  very 
minute  toadstools.  Com,  when  in  this  condition,  is  readily  recognized 
by  a  very  powerful  musty  smell ;  and  the  grain,  of  course,  is  not  adapted 


190 


FOOD. 


to  nourish  any  animal.  Musty  provender  is  supposed  to  engender  worms 
and  other  unpleasantnesses ;  but  tl^e  author  is  disposed  to  attribute  the 
production  of  the  parasites  to  a  want  of  resistance  in  the  system,  which 
may  be  inherited,  or  spring  from  a  sickly  state  of  the  body,  or  which  may 
be  produced  by  the  consumption  of  unwholesome  diet. 

Another  advantage  which  is  attendant  on  the  employment  of  heat 
and  moisture  is  that,  by  its  operation,  the  unwholesome  nature  of  food, 
if  not  absolutely  corrected,  is  greatly  ameliorated.  The  horse  proprietor 
is  thus,  in  some  measure,  protected  from  those  accidents  to  which  every 
stable  is  liable  where  a  stud-groom  does  not  preside  over  the  establish- 
ment, or  where  the  owner  is  not  remarkable  for  activity.  The  benefit 
resulting  from  heat  may,  in  a  certain  measure,  be  secured  where  no 
steaming  apparatus  exists;  but  then  two  stout  closely-shutting  boxes  of 
galvanized  iron  and  a  scoop,  together  with  a  large  kettle,  are  required. 


MACERATING  BOX  AND  SCOOP. 


The  food  is  placed  in  one  of  the  receptacles ;  then  so  much  boiling 
water  should  be  poured  upon  it  as  experience  has  ascertained  will  be 
entirely  absorbed.  This  done,  the  lid  is  closed,  and  the  confined  steam 
will  partially  cook  the  provender.  The  need  for  two  boxes  is  to  allow 
the  hay,  chafF,  or  grain  to  remain  for  a  longer  period  subjected  to  the 
moisture,  so  that  these  substances  may  be  thoroughly  softened.  This, 
however,  is  a  more  troublesome  method,  and  the  mode  does  not  equal, 
in  its  results,  the  employment  of  steam  where  the  vapor  can  be  com- 
manded ;  but,  whichever  practice  is  adopted,  the  following  regulations 
should  always  be  observed  when  the  horses  are  fed. 

The  mangers  intended  for  the  reception  of  softened  provender  must 
be  of  a  peculiar  construction.  The  feeding  compartment  should  possess 
a  lid,  which  may  be  let  down  when  the  manger  is  removed.  This  last 
should  always  be  taken  out  of  the  stable  after  it  has  been  emptied ;  the 
interior  should,  at  each  removal,  be  thoroughly  cleansed.     The  form  of 


FOOD. 


191 


the  receptacle  should,  in  some  measure,  resemble  a  large  pudding  dish, 
and  should  offer  no  sharp  angles,  where  the  moist  provender  may  ac- 
cumulate and  turn  unpleasantly  acid.  A  broad  rim  should  surround  the 
hollow,  into  which  rim  should  be  let  two  movable  handles,  the  use  of 
which  is  to  expedite  the  manger  being  carried  from  place  to  place.  The 
substance  ought  to  consist  of  galvanized  iron,  but  the  interior  may  ad- 
vantageously be  coated  with  enamel. 


IBON  MSH   OR  MOVABLE   MANGEE   FOR  HORSES'   FOOD. 


Such  an  article,  when  placed  in  the  wooden  frame  adapted  to  receive 
it,  would  be  supported  by  its  rim  and  kept  by  its  own  weight  in  the 
proper  situation.     When  taken  thence,  it  ought  to  be  carried  to  the 


QIVING   OUT  THE   MACERATED   FOOD. 


pump  and  cleansed,  after  which  it  is  lodged  in-  the  provender  house. 
When  feeding  time  comes  round,  two  helpers  or  stable-boys  wheel  two 


192 


FOOD. 


barrows  to  the  door  of  the  building  and  there  wait.  The  head  groom, 
attended  by  two  others,  enters  the  room,  and  with  the  scoop  serves  out 
the  provender,  each  groom  by  turns  holding  a  manger  to  be  filled. 

As  the  basins  are  loaded,  these  are  arranged  on  the  barrows ;  when 
the  macerating  box  has  been  emptied,  the.  grooms  and  helpers  proceed 
upon  their  rounds.  As  each  barrow  stops  before  a  door,  the  man  who 
wheels  it  goes  to  the  outside  of  the  building,  and,  pulling  a  string, 
thereby  raises  the  lid  of  the  manger.  He  next  proceeds  to  the  entrance, 
and,  having  undone  the  fastenings,  stands  ready  to  admit  the  groom  on 
his  approach.  This  being  done,  the  lower  half  is  closed,  and  only 
opened  again  to  allow  of  the  groom's  egress. 


CARRTINQ   THE   FOOD  ROUND   TO  THE   STABLES. 


Where  a  horse,  of  a  known  restless  or  ravenous  habit,  is  confined,  an 
external  slide  affords  the  means  of  supplying  food.  The  manger,  in  such 
a  box,  should  be  replaced  after  it  has  been  cleansed;  for,  as  it  is  then 
empty,  the  food  cannot  be  lost  in  consequence  of  the  impatient  hunger 
or  of  the  nervousness  of  the  animal.  When  the  feeding  hour  comes 
round,  the  lid  of  the  receptacle  having  been  raised  by  pulling  at  the 
string,  the  shutter  is  lifted  up  and  the  provender  shot  through  the  open 
space.  The  steamed  oats  and  chaff  are  not  absolutely  wet.  The  con- 
dition is  rather  less  sticky  than  the  same  bulk  of  brewers'  grains.  The 
substance,  therefore,  would  readily  fall  down  into  the  manger;  but,  as 
this  mode  necessitates  that  the  incline  be  constantly  scraped  and  cleaned, 


FOOD.  193 

it  is  not,  because  extra  trouble  is  enforced  by  it,  recommended  for  general 
adoption. 

Thus,  without  that  excitement,  delay,  and  ill  humor  which  too  fre- 
quently distinguishes  feeding  time  in  large  establishments,  each  horse 
may  be  speedily  supplied.  All  needed  is  a  little  drilling  by  the  head 
groom,  so  each  man  may  understand  his  office :  that  when  fulfilling  it, 
no  one  may  obstruct  the  path  of  his  fellow.  The  steaming  or  macera- 
tion of  food  may,  by  certain  readers,  be  imagined  to  have  originated 
in  a  desire  to  write  pretty  about  horses.  The  author  denies  such  a 
motive.  Besides,  the  plan  has  no  pretense  to  originality.  It  has  for 
many  years  been  practiced :  but  not  in  high-class  stables.  The  writer, 
however,  had  an  inducement,  in  truth,  to  recommend  its  general  adop- 
tion, and,  therefore,  to  some  portion  of  the  implied  charge  he  may  plead 
"guilty." 

All  horse  owners  bitterly  complain  of  the  expense  involved  in  the 
support  of  an  animal.  Nor  is  this  surprising,  when  it  is  considered  that 
one-half  of  its  provender  passes  through  the  body  of  the  animal  undi- 
gested, being  no  more  than  so  much  material  literally  wasted ;  while  a 
great  portion  of  the  remainder,  though  dearly  purchased,  is  absolutely 
without  nutriment.  As  a  matter  of  economy,  nothing  should  be  placed 
in  the  manger  which  is  not  fit  to  be  appropriated,  or  is  not  proper  to 
nourish  the  strength.  Such  is  the  purpose  of  food :  that  is  not  food 
which  does  not  feed,  although,  like  the  clay  balls  of  the  American  Indian, 
it  may  be  swallowed  under  the  promptings  of  appetite ;  for  when  received 
into  the  stomach,  like  the  substance  alluded  to,  it  probably  will  engender 
disorder. 

Improper  articles,  therefore,  presented  as  food,  are  in  a  double  sense 
extravagant.  In  the  first  place,  they  do  not  sustain  the  life;  in  the 
second  place,  they  entail  the  expense  and  loss  of  service  which  are 
inseparable  from  disease.  Whether  with  horse  or  with  man,  every- 
thing offered  as  food  should  do  more  than  merely  appease  the  appetite. 
Unless  it  also  uphold  the  vigor,  devouring  it  is  to  waste  the  substance; 
and  whatever  adapts  provender  to  the  requirements  of  the  digestion, 
cannot  in  reason  be  esteemed  either  extraVagant  or  unnecessary.  Of 
course,  prepared  food  entails  trouble.  It  cannot  be  forked  into  a  rack 
or  tossed  into  a  manger  speedily  and  without  soil  to  the  garments. 
There  are  plenty  of  reasons  why  grooms  should  cling  to  "hard  meat;" 
and  why  this  class  of  servants  should  object  to  prepared  fodder. 

Grooms,  however,  as  generally  treated,  are  most  exceptionable  domes- 
tics. Other  servants  are  occupied  throughout  the  day.  The  stable 
attendant  turns  the  key  upon  the  day's  duties  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening.     He  is  the  most  wasteful  and  costly  of  all  the  servants  in  or 

13 


194  FOOD. 

about  the  house.  He  wastes  even  that  which  Heaven  has  supph'ed  in 
the  greatest  abundance.  He  wastes  the  air;  since,  to  obtain  warmth, 
he  will  not  permit  the  horse  to  breathe  other  than  atmosphere  contami- 
nated by  the  creature's  excretions.  He  wastes  the  quadruped's  strength ; 
since  he  works  it  out  of  season,  and  is  pleased  to  view  the  limbs,  when 
not  in  action,  "cribbed  and  confined"  within  the  narrow  limits  of  a  stall. 
He  upholds  every  ^buse.  He  is  opposed  to  every  improvement.  The 
sum  which  a  fashionable  groom  costs  his  master  is  not  to  be  estimated 
by  the  money  paid  to  the  individual  as  wages. 

Hay,  oats,  and  beans  constitute  the  horse's  daily  sustenance.  These 
articles  are  quickly  measured  out,  and  do  not  soil  the  hand  which  appor- 
tions them.  No  doubt  the  groom  will  resist  any  change  in  so  convenient 
a  diet;  but  the  subject,  as  it  at  present  stands,  concerns  the  liking  of 
no  person.  It  simply  involves  a  moral  duty.  Nature  has  sent  food  in 
abundance  and  in  variety.  Is  man  justified,  when  he  opposes  nature's 
obvious  intention  ?  When  he  first  imprisons  a  life,  and  then  dooms  it  to 
subsist  for  the  period  of  its  being  on  a  monotony  of  provender,  does  he 
act  rightly  or  wisely?  What  motive  can  be  urged  strong  enough  to 
warrant  the  pigmy  in  placing  his  insignificance  between  the  creature 
and  the  liberality  of  the  Creator  ? 

Horses  are  not  confined  to  England.  Elsewhere  the  quadrupeds  thrive 
on  other  food  than  hay,  oats,  and  beans.  The  Arab,  which  stands  first 
among  the  tribe,  and  is  by  some  writers  recognized  as  the  original  of  the 
species,  thrives  on  barley  and  on  chopped  straw.  The  American  breed 
rarely  taste  oats,  being  fed  on  Indian-corn ;  as,  likewise,  are  many  ani- 
mals inhabiting  the  south  of  Germany.  Damaged  wheat  is  eaten  by 
agricultural  teams  all  over  the  world.  Rye  is  given  as  a  supporting 
diet,  when  long  journeys  are  traveled  in  Russia.  In  India,  the  cavalry 
charger  exists  chiefly  on  a  grain  called  "gram."  In  Ireland,  the  general 
feed  is  raw  potatoes.  In  Iceland,  dried  fish  is  employed  as  provender; 
while  during  the  needy  period  of  the  Crimean  campaign,  the  English 
horses  devoured  the  tails  of  their  stable  associates. 

England,  however,  can  supply  or  can  import  all  the  articles  enumer- 
ated. Why,  therefore,  are  oftts  preferred  as  the  fittest  food  for  horses? 
The  kernel  of  this  grain  is  covered  by  a  solid  coat  of  chaff.  That  chaff 
adds  to  the  weight  of  the  corn,  and  is  charged  to  the  purchaser  as  so 
much  nutritious  matter.  It  is  not  supporting ;  but  it  occupies  space 
when  first  taken  into  the  stomach.  That  space  allows  the  dried  kernels 
to  swell  without  occasioning  inconvenience  to  the  animal ;  for  the  same 
moisture  which  enlarges  the  oat,  also  softens  the  husk,  and  allows  it  to 
be  compressed  with  little  absolute  force. 

As  dry  food,  given  separately,  oats  no  doubt  are  the  most  wholesome 


FOOD.  195 

provender  for  horses.  Barley,  rye,  or  wheat,  if  dry,  would  require  a  pro- 
portion of  chaff  to  be  mixed  with  those  grains,  so  as  to  render  either  of 
them  safe.  Few  things  are  more  common  in  agricultural  districts,  than 
for  animals  to  be  injured  by  eating  the  latter  kind  of  food.  Quadrupeds 
often  break  loose,  and  gorge  upon  wheat;  when  the  cereal,  swelling  after 
it  has  been  swallowed,  not  unseldom  ruptures  the  stomach  and  destroys 
the  life.  All  dried  grain  should  be  moistened  before  it  is  placed  in  the 
manger.  When  properly  soaked,  barley,  wheat,  or  rye  are  more  whole- 
some than  oats.  Mingled  with  chaff,  they  are  quite  as  beneficial,  even 
when  administered  in  the  dried  state.  They  are,  moreover,  when  re- 
garded in  the  view  of  weight  for  weight  of  nutriment,  far  cheaper  than 
the  vast  majority  of  England's  favorite  provender. 

Might  not  the  ship  biscuit,  which  is  now  used  only  as  a  food  for  dogs, 
be  profitably  employed  in  the^  stable  ?  It  contains  no  husk.  Its  surface 
is  not  surrounded  by  dangerous  hairs.  It  is  all  nutriment ;  and,  being 
slightly  moistened  by  the  action  of  steam,  would  doubtless  be  consumed 
with  avidity,  after  the  fii'st  distaste,  natural  to  timidity,  had  been  over- 
come. This  species  of  provender  would  be  cheaper  than  the  raw,  hard, 
and  unprepared  grain,  which  might  with  advantage  be  superseded  bj 
crushed  biscuit  mingled  with  a  proportion  of  chaf£ 

The  action  of  heat  is  well  known  to  change  the  nature  of  corn,  while 
fermentation  converts  the  starch  of  the  raw  seed  into  sugar.  Might  not 
a  coarse  kind  of  bread  be  made  for  the  stable  ?  This  is  no  whim  of  the 
author's  imagination.  Such  a  plan  is  common  throughout  Germany, 
where  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  a  carter  feeding  himself  and  steed  off  the 
same  loaf  The  groom  might  possibly  resist  such  an  innovation  upon 
his  rights  and  leisure ;  but  a  better  order  of  dependents  could  be  found, 
to  whom  the  extra  labor  would  merely  prove  a  pastime. 

Besides  bread  and  biscuits,  there  are  various  roots  which  might  prove 
very  acceptable  to  a  vegetable  eater.  The  digestion  of  all  such  articles 
is  promoted  by  the  substances  being  cooked  before  they  are  presented. 
The  fire  extracts  much  of  the  water  with  which  they  all  abound ;  heat 
also,  in  some  measure,  arrests  the  tendency  to  ferment.  Why  should 
such  simple  and  natural  food  be  denied  to  the  creature  which  nature  has 
sent  upon  this  earth  with  an  appetite  fitted  to  consume  it  ?  There  is 
ample  room  for  choice  in  the  list  which  has  been  indicated ;  so  far  as 
experiment  has  hitherto  tested  the  value  of  such  articles  of  food  for 
horses,  results  have  been  obtained  which  seem  to  say  the  change  might 
be  generally  adopted  without  danger. 

A  sameness  of  diet  is  known  to  derange  the  human  stomach.  Under 
such  a  system,  the  palate  loses  its  relish,  while  a  loathing  is  excited 
which  destroys  appetite.     How  often  do  grooms  complain  of  certain 


iy6  FOOD. 

animals  being  bad  feeders  1  May  not  such  disinclination  for  sustenance 
be  no  more  than  the  disgust  engendered  by  a  constant  absence  of  variety  ? 
Is  there  any  large  stable  in  the  kingdom  where  one  or  more  quadrupeds 
are  not  equally  notorious  for  being  ravenous  feeders  ?  The  disinclination 
for  the  necessary  sustenance  and  the  morbid  desire  for  an  excess  of  nutri- 
ment are  alike  symptoms  of  deranged  digestion.  Some  horses  w^ill  devour 
large  quantities  of  earth, — stones,  worms,  and  all.  Other  animals  will, 
if  not  muzzled,  consume  the  litter  of  their  stalls,  no  matter  how  tainted 
or  filthy  it  may  be.  Strange  tastes  and  unnatural  likings  are  not  unfre- 
quently  displayed  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  stable,  among  which,  the 
instances  cited  are  only  the  most  common,  all  such  whims  being  declara- 
tive of  a  diseased  stomach. 

The  stable,  its  management,  its  formation,  and  its  food,  do  further 
injury  than  merely  to  derange  the  digestion.  Such  may  be  its  primary 
effect;  but  the  stomach  is  to  the  animal  as  the  root  is  to  the  plant. 
Through  it  all  the  nourishment  is  absorbed.  By  its  healthful  operation, 
the  trunk,  limbs,  and  strength  are  maintained.  The  rootlets  cannot  be 
diseased  without  the  remotest  twigs  drooping  and  withering.  So  the 
deranged  digestion  induced  by  the  modern  stable  leads  to  those  fearful 
results  which  render  life  valueless;  and  which  would  terminate  the 
existence,  were  the  event  not  anticipated  by  the  oifice  of  the  knacker. 
Cribbing,  weaving,  quidding,  surfeit,  inflamed  thorax,  bowel  complaints, 
broken  wind,  glanders,  diseases  of  the  legs  and  of  the  feet,  with  the  ma- 
jority of  those  injuries  which  are  complacently  recognized  as  accidents, 
may  all  be  directly  traced  to  that  domestication  which  assumes  a  right 
to  dictate  how  a  life  shall  exist ;  the  atmosphere  it  shall  breathe ;  the 
space  it  shall  occupy ;  and  the  substances  it  shall  eat.  Heaven,  when 
this  earth  was  first  inhabited,  did  not  create  beings  without  investing 
them  with  rights,  which  man  cannot  abrogate  at  his  convenience  or  set 
aside  at  his  pleasure. 

Of  late  years  a  class  of  traders  has  sprung  up  who  profess  to  sell 
"patent  foods,"  or  nostrums,  which  are  to  be  cast  into  the  manger  with 
the  corn.  The  economy  and  the  marvelous  effects  of  these  secret  prep- 
arations are  loudly  trumpeted ;  and  from  the  numbers  who  now  deal  in 
such  articles,  these  persons  evidently  find  many  customers.  The  mix- 
tures consist  of  certain  seeds  and  spices,  which,  in  consequence  of  a 
relish  being  given  to  the  monotony  of  manger  diet,  are  eagerly  de- 
voured. They  may  even  stimulate  a  false  appetite ;  but,  after  a  time, 
this  effect  will  cease,  and  a  loathing  greater  than  the  previous  excite- 
ment will  succeed.  It  is  not,  therefore,  with  surprise  that  the  author 
hears  of  people,  once  very  enthusiastic  admirers  of  such  additions,  hav- 
ing, .after  some  experience,  relinquished  these  foreign  aids  to  provender 


FOOD.  197 

After  all,  "patent  foods"  contain  matter  which  is  as  old  as  tlie  hills. 
Grooms  and  coachmen  have,  for  a  longer  period  than  is  to  be  reached  by 
the  memory  of  man,  had  a  confiding  faith  in  certain  charms,  or  nostrums. 
Such  innocent  people  have  long  held  secrets  for  working  wonders — 
either  by  improving  the  coat,  promoting  condition,  or  creating  spirit,  etc. 
These  mysteries  were  made  up  either  as  balls  or  powders.  So  general 
was  this  practice  that  certain  veterinary  surgeons  kept  particular  articles 
solely  to  meet  the  demands  of  such  customers.  These  ingredients, 
which  were  always  retailed  to  ignorant  people,  late  in  the  evening  and 
with  much  secrecy,  are,  in  very  many  cases,  even  to  particulars,  the 
same  as  are  now  the  advertised  "Blessings  to  Horse  Owners."  There 
is,  however,  this  difference :  such  things  are,  at  present,  purchased  by 
the  proprietor,  whereas  they  formerly  were  secretly  procured  by  the 
servant.  The  master  esteems  it  commendable  in  him  to  administer  such 
stuffs  to  his  animals;  whereas,  a  few  years  ago,  the  retainer  was  as- 
suredly dismissed  from  his  situation,  if  not  punished,  who  was  detected 
mixing  any  substance  with  the  provender  of  his  horses. 

With  regard  to  quantity  in  the  matter  of  diet.  All  animals  are  not 
of  one  size,  neither  have  all  horses  the  same  capacity  of  stomach.  It  is 
usual  to  measure  out  so  much  corn  as  the  allowance  proper  for  a  horse, 
and  to  toss  the  quantity  into  the  manger,  without  paying  any  attention 
to  the  desires  of  the  creature.  Such  a  custom  may  be  extremely  con- 
venient ;  but  it  is  very  wasteful.  Horses  differ  quite  as  much  as  men  do 
in  their  appetites.  By  the  common  practice,  one  animal  receives  more 
than  it  requires,  while  another  gets  less  than  satisfies  its  cravitigs.  Some 
slight  notice  of  the  body's  necessities  should  be  insisted  upon  in  those 
who  pretend  to  comprehend  the  quadruped ;  and  a  master  should  in- 
struct the  servant  that  a  creature  endowed  with  life  cannot  be  justly 
regarded  as  a  manufacturing  machine. 

Then,  as  to  the  times  of  feeding.  The  horse  is  essentially  a  creature 
of  the  night.  Man  may  shake  up  the  straw  and  lock  the  stable  door; 
but  he  does  not,  therefore,  put  the  quadruped  to  sleep.  Long  hours  of 
watchfulness  are  apt  to  generate  habits  of  mischief,  as  well  as  lead  to 
many  indulgences  which  are  no  more  than  the  results  of  want  of  em- 
ployment, or  the  absence  of  amusement.  The  solitary  confinement, 
now  popular  in  prisons,  in  workhouses,  and  in  some  schools,  is  evidently 
wrong  in  principle ;  more  especially  wrong  is  it,  when  practiced  upon 
children,  as  loneliness,  acting  upon  immaturity  of  intelligence,  invariably 
leads  to  an  evil  desire,  which  is,  in  penal  prisons,  spoken  of  as  "break- 
ing out." 

The  horse  has  to  pass  twelve  hours  of  weary  time  awake,  without 
food  and  without  supervision.     Why  should  not  one  feed,  at  least,  be 


19»  FOOD. 

given  late  at  night?  The  present  custom,  of  allowing  the  stable-man 
his  time  after  six  o'clock,  is  not  beneficial  to  the  servant;  nor  is  it 
advantageous  to  a  master.  It  merely  encourages  habits  which  are 
expensive.  Expensive  habits  are  not  commendable  or  innoxious,  vt^here 
the  weekly  income  is  reckoned  by  shillings.  A  little  more  of  whole- 
some employment  would  greatly  improve  the  stable-retainer.  The  man 
is  now  corrupt ;  but  those  who  suffer  by  his  vices,  expose  him  to  that 
temptation  which  subverts  the  uprightness  of  his  inclinations.  After 
six,  is  a  better  hour  for  equine  exercise  than  during  the  heat  of  the 
•  afternoon.  Subsequent  to  the  setting  of  the  summer's  sun,  during  the 
cool,  moist  time  of  twilight,  the  quadruped  would  delight  in  being 
abroad;  but,  durmg  the  hours  when  nature  formed  her  creature  to 
roam,  man,  for  a  servant's  convenience,  imprisons  his  slave ;  and, 
having  perverted  every  intent  or  purpose  of  its  existence,  complains 
aloud  because  the  laws  of  Creation  are  not  made  subservient  to  his 
perversity  1 

•  Could  society  be  rendered  a  trifle  more  sympathetic  and  a  little  less 
conceited,  horses  would  largely  benefit  by  such  a  change  in  the  disposi- 
tions of  their  masters.     But  this  cannot  be  with  present  thoughts  and 
existing  institutions.     The  modern  age  essentially  delights  in  knowing ; 
it  rather  sneers   at,  than  cultivates,  feeling.      England   abounds   in 
schools,   and   is  thickly   strewn   with    colleges.      Education   is   much 
lauded;    but  the  education  at  present  given  neglects  the  higher  and 
the  better  part  of  the  pupil's  mind.     Everywhere  knowledge  is  incul- 
cated ;  nowhere  is  feeling  cultivated.     Nay,  in  the  majority  of  existing 
educational  establishments,  the  sensations  are  blunted  and  the  emotions 
suppressed.     Yet  to  elevate  the  feelings  of  its  followers,  is  the  purpose 
and  the  object  of  Christianity.     Reverends  and  Dignitaries  preside  over 
places  wh^e,  under  pretense  of  being  properly  trained,  youths  are  un- 
christianized.     Most  young  men  quit  their  tutors  with  the  knowledge 
quickened ;  but  where  is  the  being  who  began  life  with  the  heart  im- 
proved, or  with  the  moral  sense  to  guide  him  through  the  many  obliga- 
tions he  was  newly  called  to  discharge,  upon  his  becoming  a  member  of 
this  world's   society?     The  horse  especially  suffers  under  the   conse- 
quences which  result  from  the  present  evil  tendency  of  the  community. 
To  talk  of  the  feelings,  the  instincts,  and  the  inclinations  of  the  quad- 
ruped, is  to  earn  a  character  for  maudlin  affectation.     The  populace  in 
the  public  highways  hourly  stare  at  or  carelessly  pass  spectacles  which, 
were  the  general  mind  really  educated  to  understand  what  is  before  it, 
should  awaken  the  keenest  commiseration ;  but  which  are  now  viewed 
as  sights  that  enliven  the  prospect.     Whence  is  derived  such  hardness 
of  heart  ?     Whence  springs  such  general  and  such  a  deep-rooted  insen- 


FOOD.  199 

sibility?  No  man  seems  capable  of  interposing  a  voice  of  expostula- 
tion, when  the  streets  display  living  and  feeling  flesh  creeping  toward 
its  early  grave ;  when  he  beholds  the  animal  driven  slowly  to  death : 
when  he  looks  upon  an  animated  being,  so  worn  and  so  dejected  tnat  it 
is  the  last  office  of  humanity  to  summon  the  knacker  to  end  a  hopeless 
misery.  The  existence  of  a  Society,  with  two  constables,  poorly  coun- 
terbalances a  national  display  of  spurs  and  of  whips.  The  foremost 
humanitarian,  so  the  skin  be  whole,  can  afford  to  gaze  upon  a  lean  and 
spiritless  horse,  tired  beyond  man's  most  exaggerated  conception  of 
fatigue,  slowly  creeping  before  some  over-burdened  cart,  while  the 
driver,  whip  in  hand,  adds  his  weight  to  the  disproportionate  load. 
Misery  in  front,  brutality  behind,  and  hard-heartedness  around ;  while 
a  fellow-inhabitant  of  earth  totters  onward  to  its  death ! 

Yet,  how  universal  is  the  lamentation  about  "the  instability  of  the 
horse's  health,"  and  "the  uncertainty  of  equine  life!"  Knowing  what 
stables  are,  and  having  learned  the  air,  the  food,  and  the  exercise 
allowed  to  maintain  a  horse's  existence,  is  there  any  just  occasion  for 
appealing  to  sympathy,  because  a  life,  maltreated  in  every  essential, 
generally  droops  before  the  fate  which  abuse  provoked  ?  Forced  into 
early  toil ;  never  seen  abroad  without  the  goad  by  its  side ;  worked  to 
the  point  of  convenience,  and  nourished  according  to  the  dictates  of 
economy, — is  it  wonderful  that  the  majority  of  horses  joerish  before 
their  youth  is  matured?  Is  it  not  rather  a  justifiable  reason  for  sur- 
prise that  a  country  should  boast  of  its  morality,  should  exalt  its  civili- 
zation, should  vaunt  its  Christian  feeling — and,  nevertheless,  that  its 
inhabitants  should  tacitly  combine  to  practice  the  grossest  inhumanity 
upon  the  meekest  type  of  earthly  sensibility  ? 


CHAPTER  YI. 

THE  EVILS  WHICH  ARE   OCCASIONED    BY  MODERN   STABLES. 

Those  gentlemen  who  have  deeply  studied  such  subjects,  assert  that 
man  is  incapable  of  originating  a  single  idea.  Certainly  an  intelligent 
being  would  not  have  been  required  to  originate  anything  if,  when  in- 
tending to  confine  an  active  animal,  he  had  been  expected  to  credit  the 
joyous  creature  with  the  common  attributes  of  life.  It  could  have 
evinced  no  excessive  servility  if,  before  the  building  was  raised  for  such 
a  purpose,  nature  and  her  requirements  had  been,  in  some  slight  meas- 
ure, considered. 

It  obviously  is  folly  for  mortal  pride  to  contend  against  those  ordiniza- 
tions  which  govern  the  universe.  However,  in  the  case  of  exercising 
power  over  the  horse,  centuries  of  defeat  and  ages  of  loss  seem  incapable 
of  causing  mankind  to  relinquish  a  hopeless  struggle.  The  strife  has 
been  going  fftrward  almost  from  the  commencement  of  time ;  neverthe- 
less, human  beings,  though  always  beaten,  press  onward  to  perpetuate 
the  contest.  They  scorn  to  retreat,  and  will  suffer  rather  than  own  a 
victor ;  they  will  not,  to  make  an  advantageous  peace,  desert  a  silly  cus- 
tom or  discard  an  ancient  usage.  They  can  sustain  punishment ;  they 
can  endure  chastisement;  but,  like  land  crabs,  when  once  upon  the 
march,  they  cannot  deviate  from  the  line  which  they  have  adopted. 
They  can  abuse  the  master,  but  they  cannot  listen  to  the  instructor. 
"Nature,"  men  exclaim  in  chorus,  "is  very  stubborn."  "Horse  prop- 
erty," respond  another  gang  of  culpables,  "is  particularly  hazardous!" 

All  this  noise,  however,  might  at  any  moment  be  avoided,  would  the 
human  race  only  stoop  to  employ  a  little  reflection.  Would  man  not 
fight  quite  so  obstinately,  but  merely  think  over  the  cause  of  combat, 
he  might  possibly  be  a  gainer  in  happiness  as  well  as  in  pocket.  Could 
he  only  condescend  to  admit  the  horse  is  a  living  creature,  he  would 
take  a  step  toward  his  recognition  of  the  truth,  because  a  fact  would 
have  been  acknowledged.  This  being  granted,  then  let  mortals,  in  their 
MJoUective  capacity,  decide  in  what  the  lowest  proof  of  life — mere  animal 
existence — does  prominently  consist. 

It  does  not  require  any  vast  expenditure  of  thought  to  discover  that 
r200) 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES.  201 

life  is  action;  "to  be,"  is  synonymous  with  "to  do;"  therefore  it  is  a 
sheer  necessity  of  existence  that  an  animated  being  must  be  doing  some- 
thing. Such  is  the  primary  consequence  of  existence.  Thus,  to  breathe 
and  to  move,  imply  one  act ;  since,  if  the  lungs  cease  to  dilate,  respira- 
tion immediately  terminates,  and,  with  it,  animation  comes  to  an  end 
Yet  it  remained  for  mortal  perversity  to  rebuke  the  first  principle  of  estab- 
lished philosophy,  when  stables  were  built  in  which  a  breathing  animal 
was  to  be  treated  as  it  were  an  inanimate  chattel. 

Nature,  like  a  kind  mother,  is  to  this  day  endeavoring  to  teach  her 
wayward  children  a  plain  truth,  which  they  may  hourly  behold  enforced 
by  visible  examples.  The  willful  brood  appears  to, be  in  no  hurry  to 
learn.  Man  still  treats  the  horse  as  though  he  honored  the  quadruped 
by  enslaving  it,  and  ennobled  a  life  by  conferring  upon  the  animal  the 
title  of  his  servant.  He  acts  as  though,  by  such  conduct,  sufficient  rea- 
son was  exhibited  why  he  should  oblige  the  creature  to  resign  its  instincts 
and  relinquish  its  desires. 

The  equine  race,  when  in  a  wild  state,  are  gregarious,  or  congregate 
in  herds.  Man  captures  such  a  quadruped  and  places  it  in  a  stable, 
built  to  enforce  the  extreme  of  solitary  confinement.  The  plain  is  the 
natural  abode  of  the  herd;  on  their  speed  depends  both  their  pleasure 
and  their  safety.  Man  ties  the  domesticated  horse  to  a  manger,  and 
pays  a  groom  to  enforce  absolute  stagnation  upon  innate  activity.  The 
"panting  steed"  is  the  most  timid  of  living  beings.  Man  insists  the 
charger  is  possessed  of  extraordinary  courage ;  he  declares  it  delights  in 
the  tumult  of  battle ;  and  he  esteems  it  a  glorious  achievement  to  brutally 
coerce  the  timorous  sensibility.  The  mild-eyed  horse  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  simple  of  all  the  breathing  beauties  which  adorn  a  wondrous  world. 
Man  declares  all  of  the  gentle  breed  have  dangerous  propensities,  and 
are  most  inherently  vicious. 

Before  subjugation,  the  creature  fed  off  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Man 
builds  a  house  specially  designed  for  the  captive,  in  which  the  corn  is 
placed  on  a  level  with  the  chest,  and  the  hay  is  stationed  as  high  up  as 
the  head.  The  animal  is  gifted  with  affections ;  it  longs  to  gratify  their 
promptings ;  it  yearns  for  something  upon  which  its  abundant  love  may 
gush  forth, — a  fellow-prisoner — a  goat — a  dog — a  cat — a  fowl ;  no  matter 
what,  so  it  be  some  living  object  on  which  may  be  lavished  that  excess 
of  tenderness  which,  confined  to  its  own  breast,  renders  being  miserable 
Man  esteems  it  his  primary  duty  to  clear  the  stable  of  all  possible  com- 
panionship ;  but  the  creature  which  would  rejoice,  were  it  only  permitted 
to  worship  its  enslaver,  he  rarely  approaches  without  a  loud  voice,  a 
tarsh  word,  or  a  harsher  blow  announcing  his  presence  to  the  captive. 

The  inhabitant  of  such  a  prison,  a  domesticated  horse  miserably  drags 


20S  EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 

ftirougli  a  shortened  life,  under  human  protection.  The  nearest 'approach 
it  can  make  to  freedom  is  its  period  of  exhausting  labor.  It  always 
rejoices  to  quit  its  confinement;  but,  enfeebled  by  imprisonment,  and 
subservient  to  man's  exactions,  it  ever  gladly  returns  to  the  place  of  its 
sorrow.  In  proportion  as  its  limbs  are  finely  made  and  its  actions  are 
graceful  is  it  prized.  It  is  never  esteemed  for  its  instincts  or  credited 
with  intelligence.  It  lives  in  so  limited  a  space  that,  in  comparison  with 
the  dimensions  of  its  abode,  a  man  in  a  sentry-box  dwells  in  a  mansion ; 
or  a  lion  in  a  cage  roams  over  a  domain.  A  reasonable  and  an  intelli- 
gent being  commands  his  horse  should  be  fastened  to  such  a  spot,  and 
supposes  that  a  living  organism  is  to  endure  the  confinement  which  does 
not  permit  the  body  to  turn  round ;  that  animated  functions  are  to  exist 
where  most  ordinary  exercises  are  rendered  impossible :  nevertheless,  he 
anticipates  the  creature  will  appear  bounding  with  health  in  answer  to 
his  requirements. 

To  be  sure,  the  prisoner,  although  its  head  be  fastened,  (a  restraint 
not  imposed  upon  the  most  savage  of  carnivorous  beasts,)  is  permitted 
now  to  bear  upon  one  leg,  and  then  to  change  it  for  the  other.  It  may 
perhaps  lie  down  or  stand  up,  without  provoking  chastisement  Neither 
head  nor  tail  are  forbid  a  proper  degree  of  motion.  But  at  this  point 
all  indulgence  is  exhausted.  It  is  tied  to  a  rope  two  yards  in  length ; 
but  it  may  not  go  even  to  the  extent  of  its  tether;  neither  may  it  move 
close  up  to  the  manger ;  both  acts  are  equally  unpardonable :  a  properly 
behaved  animal  should  stand  quietly  in  the  center  of  its  compartment, 
and  always  remain  there  when  not  lying  down. 

It  is  beaten  if  its  head  be  raised  just  to  peep  over  the  paling,  to  ex- 
change a  rub  of  the  nose  and  to  give,  as  well  as  accept,  a  warm  stream 
of  fragrant  breath  to  and  from  its  nearest  fellow-misery.  It  must  taste 
the  full  flavor  of  its  captivity :  no  trivial  act  may  distract  attention  from 
the  horror  of  its  position.  It  must  lie  down  where  it  stands ;  and  stand 
where  it  laid  down.  It  must  not  display  the  grace  and  ease  of  motion 
with  which  it  has  been  endowed ;  nor  must  it  indulge  the  kindly  feeUngs 
Providence  has  gifted  it  with.  To  exert  the  faculties  which  the  All- 
wise  has  planted  in  a  beautiful  body,  man  regards  as  evidence  of  its 
vicious  disposition;  though  it  has  yet  to  be  demonstrated  that  nature 
ever  bestows  any  quality  without  an  intention  that  the  gift  should  be 
actively  employed. 

The  feelings  of  the  master  are  more  than  sympathized  in  by  the  groom. 
A  servant's  pride  always  induces  him  to  exaggerate  both  the  virtues  and 
the  vices  of  his  employer.  What  in  the  superior  is  a  mere  anticipation, 
which  gratifies  when  it  becomes  realized,  in  the  bosom  of  the  dependent 
swells  to  a  positive  demand,  compliance  with  which  it  is  noble,  at  every 


EVILS  OF  MODERN  STABLES.  203 

hazard,  to  insist  upon.  The  man,  therefore,  permits  the  cat  to  pur: 
but  among  the  horses  he  is  resolved  to  enforce  the  extreme  of  quietude. 

The  menial  does  not  inquire  whether  an  exquisite  adaptation  of  sight, 
so  as  to  inspect  the  minutest  particle  and  to  view  the  most  distant  ob- 
ject ;  whether  a  sensibility  of  hearing,  to  which  movements  are  audible, 
when  to  the  duller  perceptions  of  the  proprietor  no  sound  vibrates  on 
the  air;  whether  a  keenness  of  scent  which  can  appreciate  qualities  in 
substances  that  to  human  sense  are  devoid  of  odor;  or  whether  that 
fleetness  of  motion,  which  the  Creator  permitted  as  a  protection,  the 
ease  of  which  machinery,  when  urged  over  common  roads,  has  failed  to 
rival, — the  servant  does  not  inquire  whether  such  attributes  were  given 
by  nature  only  to  be  fastened  by  the  head,  or  to  be  confined  within  a 
space  in  which  absolute  stagnation  must  ultimately  induce  bodily  inca- 
pacity. For  nature's  intentions  the  groom  cares  nothing.  "He  has  his 
doty  to  discharge  and  he  will  do  it !  Master  wishes  the  osses  to  be  kept 
quiet  on  a  arternoon ;  and  he's  the  chap  as  will  see  the  guv'nor  is  not 
disappointed !" 

Such  a  doom  can  alone  be  varied  by  the  hours  of  labor  and  the  periods 
of  feeding.  To  the  animal  thus  surrounded,  recreation  is  impossible, 
and  its  lodging  is  so  small  that  bodily  ease  is  unattainable.  Yet  the 
horse  is  kept  for  the  use  of  its  limbs;  those  who  have  observed  the 
quadruped  canter  round  the  field  into  which  it  has  been  newly  loosed, 
know  that  enjoyment  is  not  incompatible  with  its  existence.  No 
pleasure,  however,  can  be  permitted  within  the  stable.  There,  the 
slightest  rustle  or  the  gentlest  indication  of  motion  is  jealously  noted. 
Most  equestrians  like  their  quadrupeds  to  be  still  after  feeding ;  because 
perfect  quietude  is  supposed  to  promote  digestion  and  to  encourage  thrift 
among  the  horses.  The  groom  loves  silence,  because,  to  his  mind,  it  is 
so  nice  and  so  respectable.  Besides,  when  no  sound  disturbs  the  mo- 
notony of  the  building,  the  groom  can  luxuriate  in  the  sense  of  absolute 
idleness — a  feeling  which  most  servants  recognize  and  enjoy.  If  any 
sound  interferes  with  the  afternoon's  luxury,  a  harsh  and  taunting  shout 
rebukes  the  inconsiderate  disturber.  "  Now !  Then  1  There  I  What 
ails  you?" 

The  dreaded  accents  of  the  tyrant's  voice  may,  for  a  space,  banish  the 
oppression  of  captivity.  The  animals,  under  the  influence  of  newly 
awakened  terror,  may  be  enabled  to  shrink  into  absolute  silence ;  but,  as 
the  fear  fades,  the  full  reality  of  their  position  cannot  otherwise  than  be 
felt  in  all  its  horrors.  Fed  upon  stimulating  food,  how  their  spirits  must 
languish,  and  how  poignantly  the  aching  limbs  must  suggest  those 
pleasures  there  is  no  prospect  of  the  prisoners  ever  again  enjoying! 
Every  little  incident  is  seized  upon  with  an  eagerness  which  attests  the 


204 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES. 


prevalence  of  utter  despair.     Should  a  visitor  enter  the  building,  every 
head  is  raised  and  every  eye  is  turned  toward  the  welcome  intruder. 


A  STRANGER  HAS  ENTERED   THE  STABLE. 


The  universal  bustle  which  follows  his  appearance  bespeaks  how  the 
lucky  arrival  has  allowed  the  limbs  to  be  stretched  and  the  positions  to 
be  altered.  For  a  moment  or  two,  the  straw  is  in  audible  commotion, 
while  the  sinkers,  or  blocks  fastening  the  collar  reins,  may  knock  against 
the  mangers,  and  the  noise  elicits  no  angry  remonstrance. 

But  as  joy  hailed  his  appearance,  so  does  the  dullness  deepen  on  the 

stranger's  departure.  From  that 
moment,  any  relaxation  becomes 
a  fault.  All  pastime  is  unlawful ; 
the  most  innocent  amusement 
must  be  practiced  silently  and  in 
secret.  Certain  animals,  however, 
try  to  get  through  the  long  hours 
of  enforced  idleness  by  quietly 
nibbling  at  the  topmost  rail  of  the 
manger.  Large  portions  of  tough 
wood  are  often  removed  after  this 
fashion;  and  to  him  who  can 
rightly  interpret  signs,  a  thick 
post  bitten  away,  fiber  by  fiber,  will  present  melancholy  evidence  of  that 
longing  for  employment  which  could  induce  so  great  a  waste  of  per- 
severance ;  for  animals  are  naturally  great  economists  of  labor. 

Other  prisoners  will  endeavor  to  cheat  the  time  by  licking  their 
mangers,  apparently  in  the  hope  that  some  stray  grain  of  corn  may  have 


NIBBLING   THE  WOOD-WORK. 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES.  205 

escaped  previous  attention.  The  soft  tongue  of  the  horse,  passed  over 
the  hardened  surface  of  the  wood,  occasions  no  noise.  Often  a  few 
grains  will  have  lodged  in  the  corners ;  then  the  effort  to  displace  these 
affords  a  long  game.  Others,  from  want  of  something  to  do,  or  from 
finding  impure  air  and  inactivity  do  not,  in  accordance  with  the  general 
doctrine,  promote  equine  digestion,  learn  "to  crib;"  a  few,  from  the 
operation  of  the  like  causes,  become  perfect  as  "wind  suckers."  All 
"speed  the  weary  hours"  as  they  best  can;  and  many  heads  are  turned 
round  to  discover  if  it  be  feeding  time  again ;  not  that  they  are  hungry, 
but  eating  is  an  occupation,  and  they  sadly  wish  for  some  employment. 

Certain  quadrupeds,  under  these  circumstances,  adopt  a  habit,  which 
is  the  more  remarkable  because  hours  of  tedium  have  generated  the  like 
indulgence  in  human  beings.  Mortals,  when  compelled  to  remain  sta- 
tionary, and  forced  to  preserve  silence,  often  strive  to  kill  time  by  rock- 
ing to  and  fro,  or  by  "see-sawing"  their  bodies.  Such  a  pitiable  excuse 
for  amusement  is  very  common  among  the  little  people  whose  undevel- 
oped limbs  are  perched  on  high  forms,  and  in  whose  hands  are  fixed  very 
uninteresting  primers,  from  which  the  infant  mind  wanders  into  vacuity 
during  the  hours  of  imprisonment  which  occur  in  those  abominations 
termed  "Preparatory  Schools."  The  horse,  also,  when  forbidden  the 
pleasures  in  which  nature  formed  it  to  delight,  will  move  its  head  me- 
thodically from  one  side  of  its  stall  to  the  other,  and  will  continue  thus 
engaged  for  hours  together. 

So  exciting  a  pastime,  most  sane  people  might  deem  to  be  harmless 
enough.  It  interferes  with  nobody ;  if  it  can  amuse  the  solitude  of  the 
creature,  it  should  certainly  excite  no  person  besides.  But  in  the  arbi- 
trary notions  of  rectitude  entertained  within  the  stable,  such  a  very  sim- 
ple custom  is  punished  as  a  positive  "vice."  A  horse  which  "see-saws" 
is  said  "to  weave,"  and  "weaving"  is,  by  grooms,  esteemed  highly  cul- 
pable. What  the  poor  animal  is  "weaving,"  no  one  can  point  out;  but, 
supposing -an  idle  time  to  be  so  creditably  employed,  "weaving,"  though 
not  a  highly  remunerative  occupation,  nevertheless  does  not  usually 
entail  penal  severity  upon  the  offender.  But  grooms  act  upon  their  own 
convictions,  and  disregard  the  general  morals  of  mankind.  When  a 
monotonous  sound,  however  gentle,  but  long  continued  and  regularly 
repeated,  falls  upon  the  ear  of  watchful  ignorance,  the  awful  fact  that 
one  of  the  imprisoned  is  endeavoring  to  cheat  its  misery,  causes  the  lash 
to  be  grasped ;  the  smart  of  a  well-directed  thong  cuts  short  the  melan- 
choly recreation,  to  inform  the  captive  that  its  keeper  is  determined  the 
fullest  flavor  and  the  most  distant  relish  of  the  situation  shall  be  silently 
appreciated. 

The  imagination  cannot  picture  a  harder  fate  1     Man,  under  such  a 


206  EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES. 

doom,  would  be  relieved  by  insanity.  The  horse  has  few  pleasures ;  but 
nature  makes  all  life  suffer  acutely  when  forced  to  continue  inactive. 
The  creature  cannot  seek  occupation  in  what  young  ladies  term  accom- 
plishments. It  has  no  power  to  consume  its  existence  in  silent  study. 
Like  all  animal  vitality,  its  delight  is  to  do,  and  that  is  the  very  thing 
which  the  groom  insists  it  shall  not  perform.  It  can  taste  no  other  kind 
of  pleasure.  All  created  beings  have  some  sphere  of  enjoyment.  Ac- 
tivity constitutes  that  of  the  equine  race ;  but  to  prevent  an  innocent 
creature  knowing  the  only  happy  sensation  of  which  its  nature  is  capable, 
the  animal  is  placed  in  a  compartment;  tied  up  to  a  manger;  while, 
behind,  there  sits  a  man  who  is  specially  engaged  to  chastise  the  smallest 
infraction  of  the  prevailing  silence  of  the  prison-house. 

It  remained  for  human  perversity  to  conceive  a  life  without  a  pastime, 
and  vexatiously  to  impose  this  terrible  fate  upon  the  creature  whose 
existence  is  devoted  to  man's  service.  When  in  the  field,  the  horse  is 
never  idle.  The  only  amusement  of  the  simple  animal  lies  in  its  per- 
petual occupation.  What  a  despairing  sorrow  must  therefore  afflict  such 
an  existence,  when  dragging  through  its  time  under  the  fostering  care 
of  the  enslaver  1  Yet  how  proudly  do  some  intellectual  beings  boast 
of  their  stables  and  of  the  ceaseless  attention  lavished  on  their  studs  1 
What  is  it  this  assiduity  realizes  to  the  creature  on  which  it  ^s  ex- 
pended? Stagnation  to  the  active,  and  solitude  to  the  gregarious. 
Movement  draws  down  punishment,  as  it  were  a  fault.  Any  attempt  to 
while  away  the  tedious  hours  is  esteemed  "a  vice;"  sensation  must  be 
checked,  and  feeling;  man  insists,  shall  be  suppressed.  But  who,  among 
the  millions  of  intellectual  masters,  sufficiently  understands  the  quad- 
ruped over  which  they  all  usurp  authority,  to  regard  the  huge  bulk  of 
that  endurance  as  the  embodiment  of  the  acutest  form  of  every  possible 
earthly  misery  ? 

To  ascertain  how  far  the  foregoing  remarks  are  founded  upon  reason, 
let  it  be  supposed  that  man  and  horse  were  to  change  places,  though  the 
two  animals,  not  being  alike  on  the  score  of  comprehension,  no  trial 
could  be  exactly  equitable.  Restlessness  of  spirit  is  the  invariable  at- 
tendant upon  weakness  of  intellect.  The  advantage  must,  therefore, 
preponderate  upon  that  side  where  intelligence  might  lose  a  sense  of  self 
in  the  excitement  of  thought,  or  where  reflection  could  be  amused  by 
passing  observation.  But,  granting  all  advantages  to  the  human  being, 
be  it  imagined  that,  for  a  single  week,  man  inhabited  a  stall;  shut  in 
from  all  society ;  standing  on  one  spot  by  day,  and  lying  there  by  night ; 
having  the  same  food  and  the  water  brought  to  him  at  regular  intervals ; 
being  obliged  to  make  his  meals  without  turning  round;  but,  all  the 
while,  with  his  nose  fastened  close  to  a  blank,  white  wall.     After  one 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES.  207 

single  week  of  such  probation,  what  does  the  reader  conjecture  would  be 
the  report  delivered  by  the  groom,  who  sat  behind  with  the  whip,  ready 
to  enforce  silence  ?  In  what  respect,  does  imagination  picture,  would  be 
the  distinction  between  man  and  horse  ? 

Stable  propriety  conceives  that  the  dumb  inhabitant  of  such  a  building 
is  fitly  occupied  when  gazing  upon  the  whitened  interior  of  its  prison. 
It  is  barely  possible  that  stable-men  may  think  this  a  most  engrossing 
amusement ;  but  there  evidently  exist  horses  which  are  so  naturally  per- 
verse as  to  imagine  that  sight  was,  by  an  all-wise  Creator,  bestowed  for 
a  more  active  purpose  than  to  merely  look  at  vacancy  when  at  home, 
and  to  be  blmded  by  blinkers  when  abroad.  These  are,  generally,  the 
new-comers.  Colts,  not  thoroughly  broken  in,  or  quite  inured  to  the 
customs  of  civilized  equine  existence,  are  such  wayward  creatures !  In 
their  inexperience,  they  are  too  impatient ;  the  first  taste  of  captivity  is 
apt  to  generate  in  them  a  desire  to  look  around,  or  to  gaze  on  the  fellow- 
beings  about  them. 

Inspired  by  a  feeling  of  dissatisfaction  with  the  boards  which  human 
care  has  placed  on  either  side  of  their  compartment,  these  youngsters 
are  likely  to  gratify  the  promptings  of  the  moment,  by  rearing  up  and 
by  lodging  the  forefeet  within  the  manger.  Thein  heads  are  thus  raised 
above  the  limit  of  their  partitions.  Where  the  com  is  commonly  thrown, 
the  front  hoofs  now  repose ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  view  instantly 
becomes  more  extended.  The  scene  is  novel;  the  exalted  quadruped 
can  exchange  glances  with  its  companions.  The  prospect  is  pleasing, 
and  the  sensation  it  awakens  is  decidedly  gratifying.  But,  unhappy 
creature  I  While  its  eyes  drink  in  delight,  it  cannot  perceive  the  angered 
visage  of  the  groom ;  nor  can  it  even  think  of  his  existence,  till  the  smart 
of  a  well-placed  lash  recalls  the  sufferer  back  to  the  hopelessness  of  that 
solitude,  under  submission  to  which  it  can  alone  hope  to  escape  from 
positive  torture. 

This  grave  offense,  like  too  many  human  failings,  is  engendered  by 
idleness.  The  offending  animal  was  without  occupation.  Its  spirit  was 
sick  with  inactivity.  Therefore,  in  despair,  it  indulged  that  forbidden 
gratification  which  most  men  in  their  own  persons  do  not  view  as  merit- 
ing severe  corporal  punishment,  or  find  to  be  a  very  stimulative  amuse- 
ment, when,  to  kill  time  on  a  rainy  day,  they  glance  out  of  the  windows 
of  their  apartments.  The  equine  sin  was,  however,  of  no  greater  mag- 
nitude ;  if  it  could,  with  strict  justice,  be  said  to  attain  to  such  lofty 
dimensions.  The  culpability,  nevertheless,  lay  in  an  animal  acting  as 
though  it  had  a  right  to  use  its  own  life  for  its  selfish  enjoyment.  A 
horse  obviously  is  the  property  of  its  master.  The  title  to  such  property 
is  absolute.     The  creature,  consequently,  has  no  right  to  act  on  its  own 


208 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 


authority ;  and  to  do  this,  regardless  of  the  peril  incurred,  is  positively 
contemplative  dishonesty,  which  merited  the  heaviest  possible  visitation  I 


A  HORSE  WITH   THE   FORELEGS  IN   THE   MANQEK. 


The  altitude  assumed,  certainly,  was  not  altogether  safe.  Mangers 
are  built  to  merely  uphold  grain  and  chaff.  Carpenters,  in  their  col- 
lective capacity,  are  a  knowing  set,  and  are  notorious  for  manufacturing 
articles  of  a  strength  merely  proportioned  to  their  uses.  A  heavy  weight 
resting  on  fragile  boards  might  have  broken  or  have  displaced  some  of 
them.  In  such  a  case,  the  animal  having  fallen  through  the  opening, 
probably  would,  in  its  fright,  have  fractured  a  limb.  The  inside  of  its 
manger,  assuredly,  did  not  offer  a  secure  foundation  for  a  steed  to  stand 
upon ;  but,  when  tracing  causes,  we  are  bound  to  inquire,  who  or  what 
provoked  the  act?  The  chastisement,  it  is  true,  has,  according  to  this 
world's  custom,  been  inflicted  upon  the  weaker  and  the  more  simple; 
but  consummation  of  such  an  act  cannot  establish  the  justice  of  the 
usage. 

The  circumstances  of  the  case  presuppose  something  condemnatory  on 
the  part  of  the  horse,  the  contemplation  of  whose  conduct  could  excite 
such  indignation  in  the  groom.  This  fact  is  further  supported  by  that 
surprise  which  mingled  with  the  anger  of  the  man.  Even  his  habitual 
lassitude  was  conquered,  through  the  energy  aroused  by  the  spectacle  of 
such  enormity  1  His  bile  boiled ;  his  voice  grew  indistinct  ^ith  passion ; 
would  excitement  have  permitted  clearness  of  speech,  oaths  might  have 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES.  209 

been  overheard ;  the  cat  was  thrown  aside  without  the  smallest  show  ol 
ceremony ;  the  servant  leaped  to  his  feet ;  with  evident  determination  he 
seized  the  whip  and  essayed  to  punish  the  offense. 

Discarding  inferential  evidence,  and  looking  at  the  case  for  positive 
testimony,  it  may  be  well,  before  we  engage  in  such  an  inquiry,  to  de- 
termine whether  the  horse  has  done  wrongly,  and  whether  the  servant 
has  acted  rightly — the  conduct  of  each  being  temperately  reviewed.  The 
quadruped,  standing  in  the  manger,  and  being  naturally  a  timid  creature, 
the  sight  of  a  whip  and  the  smart  of  its  application  might  cause  the 
terrified  life  to  perform  several  very  energetic  and  eccentric  movements. 
If  the  animal's  fault  laid  in  its  mounting  on  so  frail  a  platform,  that, 
certainly,  was  a  reason  which  should  not  have  excited  the  groom  to 
chastisement  during  the  perilous  position.  Fear  often  banishes  caution, 
and  the  exhibition  ground  of  the  contention,  then,  being  specially  limited, 
any  alarm  was  calculated  to  provoke  the  danger  which  it  was  the  office, 
and  doubtless  the  intention,  of  the  groom  to  dispel.  During  the  strug- 
gles caused  by  sudden  fright,  hair  is  often  removed  and  sores  established. 
A  horse,  surprised  by  terror,  has  engendered  fearful  blemishes ;  trouble- 
some wounds  have  been  produced,  and  prominences  of  bone  have  been 
fractured  by  the  wild  efforts  of  timidity,  when  excited  by  horror.  The 
horse  had  no  business  to  stand  in  the  manger;  but,  being  a  non-reason- 
ing animal,  we  may  overlook  that  transgression.  The  man,  however, 
being  an  intellectual  agent,  did  very  wrong  in  flogging  the  steed  while 
the  quadruped  retained  its  perilous  position. 

To  beat  a  horse,  admits  of  justification  by  appealing  to  custom ;  but 
to  flog  a  horse  when  tied  to  a  manger  and  confined  to  a  stall,  is  certainly 
gratifying  the  human  passion  at  the  risk  of  injury  to  that  property  which 
every  owner  is  supposed  to  possess  in  the  perfect  condition  of  his  animal. 
Now  man,  being  blessed  with  power  to  think,  violated  his  duty  when  he 
indulged  his  own  instincts  at  the  hazard  of  harm  to  his  employer,  or 
when  he  chastised  the  colt  for  braving  the  possibility  of  injury ;  since,  by 
so  doing,  he  was  guilty  of  defying  the  probability  of  damage,  and  there- 
fore stands  convicted  of  a  worse  fault  than  that  for  which  he  punished 
his  charge. 

Let  us  now  endeavor  to  ascertain  the  real  extent  of  that  misdeed  the 
contemplation  of  which  provoked  an  amount  of  anger  sufficient  to  banish 
prudence  from  among  the  virtues  of  a  reasonable  being.  The  colt  is,  in 
the  first  place,  located  and  fastened  within  the  stable.  The  fact  certifies 
to  no  choice  having  been  exercised  on  the  part  of  the  culprit ;  therefore 
it  is  blameless,  so  far  as  being  inside  a  building  might  imply  an  error. 
It  was  fastened  within  a  defined  and  an  arbitrarily  limited  department. 
The  animal,  however,  did  not  plan  the  edifice,  erect  the  partitions,  or 

U 


210  EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 

halter  its  own  head  to  one  of  the  mangers ;  consequently,  so  far  it  must 
be  esteemed  guiltless.  But  the  creature,  being  there,  leaped  into  a  recep- 
tacle intended  for  food,  and  placed  before  it,  thus  obtaining  a  power  of 
seeing  around  it. 

The  last  act  argues  discontent,  and  discontent  has  never  been  ranged 
with  amiable  qualities.  Still,  it  is  not  commendable  to  be  contented, 
when  we  possess  ability  to  improve  our  situation.  Eyes  certainly  are 
natural  gifts ;  their  presence  supposes  a  divine  permission  that  sight 
should  be  exercised,  since  the  wish  to  use  them  is  an  innate  impulse. 
Man  himself  often  endures  much  inconvenience  and  pays  large  sums, 
simply  to  gratify  his  eyes  with  the  momentary  spectacle  of  some  gor- 
geous procession.  The  act,  which  has  never  been  accused  as  a  crime  in 
the  lords  of  the  creation,  should  not,  therefore,  be  esteemed  unpardonable 
when,  exemplified  by  an  animal  which  is  occupying  an  inappropriate 
position. 

Next,  let  us  ask,  what  excuse  can  be  urged  to  extenuate  a  deed  which 
has  already  been  shown  to  be  less  than  a  fault,  and  to  be  far  removed 
from  the  category  of  crime  ?  The  horse  is  formed  by  nature  with  a  love 
of  action.  In  a  modern  stable  it  is  tied  by. the  head,  while  the  stall  par- 
titions are  of  sufficient  height  to  isolate  its  misery.  The  poor  quadruped 
may  have  stood  where  it  stands  for  several  consecutive  hours.  The 
manger  is  fixed  directly  before  it;  the  r^eptacle  has  been  empty  some 
time ;  the  thing  is  clearly  not  wanted  now  to  hold  food :  yet,  there  the 
open  box  remains.  The  head  is  tied  to  it;  the  animal  cannot  escape 
from  looking  on  and  into  it ;  till  speculation,  which  concern  the  possible 
intention  implied  by  the  fixature  of  the  article,  takes  absolute  possession 
of  the  equine  mind. 

At  last  a  bright  idea  descends ;  the  manger  is  thought  to  be  placed 
where  it  is,  as  an  easy  step  for  the  animal's  -  feet  to  rest  upon.  The 
wood-work  is  situated  at  a  convenient  distance  from  the  ground.  Man 
could  not  have  supposed  the  horse  wanted  victuals  lifted  to  its  mouth, 
when  every  field  exhibits  one  of  the  tribe  lowering  its  head  to  gather 
herbage  from  the  earth  ?  Such  a  notion  is  ridiculous  I  The  corn  must 
be  cast  into  the  manger,  simply  because  the  thing  is  ready  to  receive  it ; 
.but  its  real  purpose  has  only  been  recently  discovered.  A  slight  but 
•.pleasing  effort  raises  the  forefeet  on  to  the  imaginary  platform.  The 
creature  is  delighted  with  its  elevated  position,  for  the  view  from  it  is 
agreeably  extended.  Assuredly,  to  discover  a  new  use  for  an  old  article, 
merits  esteem ;  and  blame,  if  any  blame  be  called  for,  should  light  on 
him  who  has  imprudently  placed  temptation  before  an  idle  spirit,  believ- 
ing animal  nature  to  be  too  passive  for  any  temptation  to  aft'ect  it.  Man, 
therefore,  was  disappointed  by  the  quadruped  proving  more  intelligent 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES.  21x 

ihan  he  bargained  for.  The  exhibition  of  intelligence  should  form  no 
excuse  for  chastisement,  though  disappointment  is  too  apt  to  expend  its 
rage  in  blows. 

There  remains,  however,  to  decide  whether  the  act  on  the  horse's 
part,  not  being  a  fault,  may  be  justly  esteemed  to  be  a  virtue.  A  dull, 
phlegmatic  beast  had  slept  away  the  time  "between  the  feedings;"  had 
been  content,  so  no  exertion  had  been  demanded.  All  men  abhor  what, 
in  stable  phraseology,  is  termed  "a  slug."  It  certainly  is  meritorious 
to  seize  every  opportunity  of  displaying  that  sort  of  temper  which  our 
superiors  desire  should  be  presented.  All  horse  owners  love  a  gay, 
lively,  spirited  nag.  Leaping  into  the  manger  was  a  proof  of  animation. 
The  act  may  have  violated  stable  propriety ;  but  the  simple  nature  of  the 
quadruped  could  not  comprehend  those  regulations  which  man  is  incapa- 
ble of  communicating  to  the  equine  understanding;  therefore  the  rules 
of  the  place  were  nothing  to  the  captive.  The  culpability  should  rest 
upon  him  who  planned  a  building  with  fixtures  capable  of  being  readily 
perverted.  Leaping  into  the  manger  was  certainly  commendable,  so  far 
as  it  testified  to  intelligence,  intrepidity,  and  liveliness.  The  blame  must 
reside  with  him  who  doomed  a  gregarious  creature  to  solitary  existence, 
and  fixed  before  the  prisoner  a  feeding  trough,  certainly  at  an  inviting 
altitude. 

There  is  another  supposed  "vice"  which  animals  doomed  to  length- 
ened and  solitary  confinement  occasionally  exemplify.  Some  gentlemen 
own  several  horses.  Those  parties  possess  ranges  of  stables,  and  every 
stall  is  occupied.  When  a  person  has  a  stud  at  his  command,  he  is  apt 
to  conceive  a  dislike  for  riding.  Days,  and  even  weeks,  may  pass  with- 
out the  saddle  or  the  carriage  being  ordered  for  the  master's  gratification. 
During  such  a  period,  the  grooms  are  supposed  to  give  the  animals  a 
healthful  amount  of  exercise. 

But  when  superiors  neglect  their  duty,  inferiors  will  probably  follow 
the  example.  A  powerful  propensity  to  imitate  is  one  of  the  human 
peculiarities ;  the  truth  of  this  observation  is  far  more  vigorously  illus- 
trated in  the  stable  than  in  the  mansion.  Much  time  may  have  gone  by 
since  some  of  the  horses  sniffed  the  breeze  or  looked  upon  the  face  of 
heaven ;  let  the  period  be  still  further  extended,  and  the  grooms  will  not 
complain.  The  quadrupeds  may  continue  idle,  and  gorge  until  their 
livers  burst  with  disease ;  but  their  custodians  can  never  tire  of  too  little 
employment.  When  an  establishment  is  thus  managed,  the  grooms  do 
not  generally  rise  till  the  hour  for  morning  exercise  has  passed;  if  a 
stray  thought  of  the  captives  should  trouble  their  consciences,  the  qualm 
s  always  quieted  with,  "Oh  !   let  the  poor  devils  enjoy  a  long  rest." 

Breach  of  one  obligation,  like  the  falling  of  a  first  brick,  is  seldom  a 


212 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES. 


solitary  mishap.  The  stable  attendant,  not  being  kept  strictly  to  his 
work,  growa  to  regard  his  own  likings  more  than  to  consider  his  mas- 
tei's  orders.  These  people  are  always  pleased  with  the  exhibition  of 
fat.  The  proprietor  may  talk  about  condition ;  but  the  servant  knows 
his  master's  favorite  hunter  should  carry  a  "littW^  fat.  It  looks  so  gen- 
tlemanly to  see  a  horse  that  is  well  fed.  Every  groom  has  a  rare,  secret 
nostrum  which  will  load  any  animal  with  fat  in  a  week.  He  will  spend 
his  perquisites  to  purchase  this  mysterious  powder,  a  spoonful  of  which, 
given  in  a  mash,  at  night,  acts  Hke  a  charm.  At  the  same  time,  he 
serves  out  the  oats  and  beans  pretty  generously.  He  fills  the  rack, 
heaps  the  manger,  gives  a  dose  of  his  secret  mixture,  and  tl^en,  slapping 
the  horse  under  the  flank,  exclaims,  "There,  old  boy  I  I  think  you  may 
enjoy  yourself  now  I" 

We  are  told  an  alderman  was  once  solicited  for  halfpence  by  a  cross- 
ing-sweeper, because  the  man  was  "so  hungry."  The  city  magnate 
paused,  looked  at  his  petitioner,  and,  with  feeling,  exclaimed,  "Lucky 
dog  I  I  wish  I  was  also  hungry."  The  horse,  wanting  exercise,  stares 
at  the  provender,  but  has  no  appetite.     The  food  piled  up  before  it  is, 


A   HORSE   WASTING   THE   HAT. 


to  the  animal,  no  other  than  "matter  out  of  place."  Desire  is  needed  to 
give  value  to  such  abundance ;  and  a  non-reasoning  being  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  prize  that  which  it  does  not  require.  It  cannot  eat,  but  it  lacks 
amusement.  The  hay  is  before  it.  In  sheer  idleness,  a  few  stalks  are 
pulled  from  the  rack.  Of  these,  one  may  be  leisurely  masticated ;  but 
the  remainder,  after  having  been  twisted  about  by  the  lips,  are  allowed 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES.  213 

to  fall  upon  the  litter.  The  sport  is  followed  up  until  the  rack  is  emptied , 
and  the  creature  is  a  little  happier,  under  a  conviction  that  it  has  escaped 
from  absolute  stagnation. 

Yet,  when  we  consider  the  heap  of  "prime  upland"  which  has  been 
spoiled,  the  subject  cannot  be  allowed  to  pass  without  one  word  of  in- 
quiry. Who  or  what  is  to  blame,  when  so  much  fodder  is  wasted  ?  No 
animal  will  prize  food  after  its  cravings  are  appeased.  Fowls,  having 
eaten,  trample  the  superabundant  barley  under  foot;  dogs  will  sleep 
beside,  or  bury,  a  half-gnawed  bone ;  nay,  man  himself,  subsequent  to  a 
good  dinner,  nauseates  the  greasy  smell  from  the  kitchen,  and  abhors 
the  sight  of  a  reeking  joint ;  school-boys  form  bread  seals  out  of  their 
breakfast  superfluity;  and  domesticated  gentlemen,  located  at  th^  bot- 
tom of  the  table,  have,  when  dinner  was  finished,  been  frequently  known 
to  amuse  their  fingers  by  making  crumbs  upon  the  cloth.  Then  the  act 
of  wasting  victuals,  after  satiety  has  been  achieved,  being,  with  various 
beings,  all  but  universal,  the  deed  cannot  be  urged  as  a  heavy  accusation 
against  a  simple  animal. 

Yet  the  scattered  hay  having  been  observed  by  the  master,  the  groom 
then  severely  punishes  the  wasteful  quadruped.  In  that  case,  however, 
it  is  the  master's  observation,  which  the  animal  could  not  possibly  pre- 
vent, that  drew  down  its  chastisement ;  the  blows  can  establish  no  fault 
on  the  part  of  the  horse.  Its  stomach  being  crammed,  the  creature 
could  eat  no  more.  The  hay,  however,  was  converted  to  some  use.  It 
was  made  to  lighten  the  heavy  hours  of  captivity.  Such  a  purpose  may 
not. have  fulfilled  the  proprietor's  intention;  but  it  was  the  only  service 
the  captive  could  put  it  to.  The  sin,  if  there  be  any  sin,  certainly  must 
remain  with  him  who  piled  up  provender  before  an  animal  which  was 
without  an  appetite.  Waste  was  indulged  when  fodder  was  thus  mis- 
appropriated ;  and  the  horse  endured  punishment  from  the  hand  of  the 
individual  who,  had  strict  justice  been  administered,  should  have  received 
the  lashes  on  his  own  person. 

Simple  natures,  when  entirely  disengaged,  generally  make  their  own 
employment,  and  that  employment,  being  intended  for  a  passing  amuse- 
ment, commonly  consists  of  what  thrifty  people  designate  "mischief." 
The  knowledge  that  displeasure  will  follow  upon  discovery,  may  spice 
the  proceeding  which  otherwise  might  want  interest.  At  all  events,  so 
it  is  with  children ;  and  it  may  be  thus  with  animals.  When  a  heaped 
manger  is  before  a  satiated  quadruped,  the  impossibility  of  feeding  makes 
'he  creature  meditate  upon  the  uses  to  which  the  grain  can  possibly  be 
applied.  None  can  be  discovered.  The  head  of  the  captive  is  tied,  and 
the  manger  is  fixed.  At  length,  in  carelessness  of  spirit,  a  mouthful  is 
caken  from  the  heap.     The  portion  cannot  be  swallowed,  so  the  lips  are 


214 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES. 


moved  and,  as  they  part,  the  corn  falls  over  them  upon  the  ground. 
This  may  not  be  a  very  exciting  recreation;  but  the  prisoner  is  restless 
with  rtpletion.  It  cannot  sleep ;  and  the  grain  passing  over  the  lips, 
in  which  equine  feeling  concentrates,  produces  a  slight  and  a  novel  sen- 
sation. 


■WASTING  CORN. 


Can  any  man  seriously  pronounce  that  an  animal,  standing  in  enforced 
solitude  and  compulsory  idleness,  is  to  blame  for  such  conduct  ?  Boys, 
during  their  school  days,  when  wanting  appetite,  or  having  unnecessary 
food  before  them,  will  not  they,  in  satiety,  play  with  needless  abundance  ? 
Are  men  to  demand  that  prudence  from  an  animal  which  we  should  cer- 
tainly not  anticipate  in  the  young  of  our  own  species  ?  Yet  the  child 
enjoys  a  certain  amount  of  confidence;  and  its  misdoing  is,  therefore, 
aggravated  by  a  certain  abuse  of  trust.  The  horse  is  confined  between 
boards,  and  enjoys  not  the  smallest  personal  liberty.  The  severity  of 
captivity  argues  that  no  reliance  reposes  upon  the  captive's  discretion. 
All  responsibility  is  lost,  when  all  freedom  of  action  is  denied.  Yet  the 
poor  prisoner  is  cruelly  beaten  for  playing  with  food,  although  the  true 
fault  rested  upon  him  who  was  too  idle  to  give  the  exercise  which  would 
have  generated  appetite ;  and  was  too  lazy  to  proportion  the  animal's 
sustenance  to  the  requirements  of  its  situation. 

Moreover,  if  we  had  listened  to  the  man's  speech,  as  he  entered  the 
servants'  hall,  we  should  have  heard  a  boast,  that  the  horse  had  been 
given  a  good  supper.  Now,  when  a  thing  is  given,  all  right  of  owner- 
ship passes  away  with  the  transfer.  The  groom,  obviously,  lost  every 
remnant  of  title  to  its  possession  when  he  presented  the  corn  to  the 
animal  as  a  free  gift;  and  the  beating  which  he  administered  to  the 
quadruped  was,  therefore,  an  act  of  wanton  severity.     The  horse  had  as 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES.  215 

great  a  right  as  the  late  Duke  of  Newcastle,  to  do  as  it  pleased  with  iw» 
own.  The  flogging  could  be  no  more  than  the  gratification  of  an  eru 
passion — out  of  which  motive  is  generated  the  most  serious  crimes ;  and 
consequently,  it  was  anything  but  a  commendable  action  in  the  groom 
who  needlessly  chastised  a  quadruped. 

Within  the  same  stable  is  lodged  young  master's  favorite  mare.  It  is 
a  beautiful  creature :  not  so  slight  as  to  be  weedy,  but  made  to  carry 
weight  with  ease,  with  speed,  and  with  action.  The  young  master  on 
this  occasion  has  traveled  to  London  by  rail,  and  the  entire  day  has  been 
passed  by  the  mare  within  the  walls  of  its  abode.  _  The  fellow  quad- 
rupeds have  had  their  exercise ;  but  the  groom  dislikes  this  horse.  It 
will  not  remain  by  itself,  while  the  pipe  is  enjoyed  with  a  pint  of  "early 
purl;"  the  man's  pride  revolts  against  drinking  his  morning's  stomachic 
in  the  street.  Besides,  the  animal,  when  first  taken  into  the  open  air, 
will  perform  a  variety  of  caperings.  Young  master  likes  such  nonsense : 
but  more  than  once  it  has  thrown  the- groom.  The  mare  is,  therefore, 
abhorred  with  all  the  malice  of  a  little  mind.  Yet  the  creature  is  all 
grace  and  animation ;  it  is  only  pleasantly  excited,  when  its  master  gets 
into  the  saddle.  Can  horses  possibly  possess  aristocratic  predilections, 
and  can  the  quadrupeds  tell  whether  hirelings  or  proprietors  are  seated 
on  their  backs  ? 

The  mare  is  no  favorite  in  the  stable.  Its  feeling  of  vitality  is  too 
powerful  to  admit  of  that  perfect  quietude  which  the  monarch  of  the 
locker  loves  should  pervade  his  dominion.  It  is  always  making  some 
noise.  Moving  about;  looking  around;  nibbling  the  wood-work;  soil- 
ing its  coat  or  rumpling  its  hair.  A  most  perverse  brute  to  look  after ! 
It  can't  be  alone  and  continue  quiet  I  It  will  not  suppress  its  spirit: 
hang  its  head  and  appear  to  fall  asleep  like  the  other  wretches. 

Such  an  animal,  weary  of  captivity,  has  pawed  its  bed,  till  not  a 
single  straw  remains  within  the  reach  of  the  forefeet.  The  manger  has 
been  repeatedly  licked,  till  the  possibility  of  a  stray  oat  no  longer  stimu- 
lates further  endeavor.  The  quadruped  has  strained  its  neck  and  ele- 
vated its  head,  till  it  is  quite  tired  of  staring  around  at  nothing.  It 
lacks  amusement,  and  is  half  inclined,  to  provoke  a  beating  rather  than 
endure  the  weight  of  silence  and  the  horror  of  that  monotony  which  per- 
vades its  abode.  In  this  state  of  restlessness,  the  vision  alights  upon 
the  collar-rope.  It  essays  to  catch  hold  of  it.  The  cord,  however, 
being  fastened  near  to  the  halter,  of  course  it  moves  with  every  motion 
of  the  head.  The  feat  is  not,  therefore,  so  easy  as  to  lack  excitement. 
The  prisoner  becomes  quite  elated.  A  new  pastime  has  at  last  been 
discovered ! 

At  first  the  rope  is  seized  between  the  lips.     The  tether,  however, 


\\\W 


216  EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 

often  escapes  from  such  a  liold :  the  teeth,  therefore,  are  ultimately  em- 
ployed. The  texture  of  the  firmest  cord  is  easily  compressed  by  the 
muscular  power  of  the  horse's  jaw  1  The  substance  is  not  unpleasant 
to  bite ;  nor  is  the  taste  of  hemp  altogether  disagreeable.  The  teeth, 
consequently,  do  not  relinquish  their  grip  with  the  termination  of  the 
game.     The  thing  is,  from  mere  vacuity,  bitten  with  different  degrees  of 

force.    Fiber  after  fiber  yields,  till, 
without  any  design  or  the  slightest 
intention,  the  substance  is  divided. 
The  creature  is  then  released ;  but 
it  does  not  at  first  comprehend 
__        that  its  bond  is  destroyed.     At 
^       length,  the  welcome  truth  is  recog- 
^       nized,  and,  bounding  with  delight, 
i       the    released    captive    scampers 
^       about  the  gangway,  peering  into 
""         forbidden  places,  and  reveling  in 
GNAWING  T&E  COLLAR-ROPE.  its  temporary  freedom ! 

The  amazement  of  the  groom 
is  excited  at  the  spectacle  of  a  horse  enjoying  liberty  I  JSTo  thought  is 
wasted  upon  the  intelligence  which  was  able  to  achieve  so  great  a  bless- 
ing. All  animals,  within  the  building,  are  credited  only  with  evil  quali- 
ties ;  ■  nothing  praiseworthy  is  looked  for  or  expected  to  be  displayed  by 
them.  The  only  virtue  a  horse  is  esteemed  capable  of  exhibiting  is 
brutish  submission.  The  groom,  seeing  the  creature  roving  about,  ex- 
claims in  anger,  "That  wicket  beast,  agin !     It  is  up  to  every  'vice  1'" 

Another  and  a  stouter  rope  is  procured.  The  fastening  is  renewed, 
ajid  made  more  strong  than  it  was  before.  But  what  has  been  accom- 
phshed  once,  will  be  repeated.  It  may  be  some  days  before  limited 
intelhgence  can  recall  the  precise  manner  in  which  its  accidental  pleasure 
was  secured ;  but,  after  an  interval,  the  audacious  animal  is  again  in 
possession  of  unlawful  license.  Such  occasions  subsequently  occur  more 
quickly.  Till,  at  length,  the  groom,  puzzled  and  aggravated  by  the  in- 
genuity of  his  charge,  substitutes  a  thick  chain  for  that  which  had  hitherto 
been  represented  by  a  hempen  tether. 

Iron  is  not  so  pleasant  to  the  teeth,  neither  will  it  yield  so  readily  to 
force  as  did  the  hemp.  The  chain  is,  consequently,  an  effectual  check  to 
some  animals.  Others,  however,  are  not  thus  readily  subdued.  The 
recollection  of  forbidden  sweets,  once  tasted  and  longingly  remembered, 
stimulates  their  faculties.  The  teeth  soon  instruct  the  understanding 
that  iron  cannot  be  bitten.  Is  there  no  other  way  of  breaking  the  fetter  ? 
All  living  things,  when  desirous  of  freedom,  pull  violently  agamst  the 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 


217 


bond  which  restrains  them.  The  quadruped  adopts  the  general  artifice. 
The  chain  stretches.  It  perceptibly  yields.  Then,  all  the  strength  and 
weight  are  brought  to  bear :  the  fetter  breaks.  Only,  the  door  is  locked 
for  the  night,  when  this  second  offense  is  consummated ;  and  the  horse 
is  the  next  morning  discovered  by  its  groom,  careering  about  the  gang- 
way or  sharing  the  stall  of  a  companion. 


BREAKINO   LOOSE. 


That  which  one  chain  is  powerless  to  retain  may,  nevertheless,  be 
confined  by  double  fetters.  The  groom,  accordingly,  has  a  second  ring 
fixed  upon  the  manger  rail.  A  stout  leathern  strap  is  then  buckled 
round  the  upper  portion  of  a  horse's  neck.  To  that  additional  and 
heavier  chain,  passing  through  the  second  ring,  an  extra  sinker  is 
fastened.  The  head  of  the  animal  has,  by  this  plan,  to  endure  a 
double,  or  more  than  a  double,  weight.  A  constant  drag,  therefore, 
does  not  improve  the  carriage  of  the  crest ;  but  it  may  serve  to  remind 
the  quadruped  of  its  recent  successful  plan  of  escape,  while  it  certainly 
cannot  otherwise  than  stimulate  the  desire  for  liberty. 

The  struggles  which,  in  the  first  instance,  were  so  effective,  being  now 
proved  powerless,  the  groom  would  joyously  chuckle  over  his  contri- 
vance, only  perseverance  in  the  horse  is  causing  its  neck-strap  to  inter- 
fere with  the  personal  appearance  of  the  animal.  Constant  friction  and 
perpetual  strain  have  made  an  unsightly  notch  in  the  mane,  while  the 
neck-strap  has  generated  a  circular  mark  totally  devoid  of  hair.  The 
mane  is  nature's  embellishment,  and  neither  horse  nor  lady  looks  more 
pleasing,  when  their  flowing  tresses  have  been  partially  destroyed. 

This  is  very  vexing.  Yet,  when  bad  begins,  worse  generally  remains 
behind.  Animals  which  have  adopted  an  idea  seem  incapable  of  relin- 
quishing the  notion.     The  creature  having  once  broken  its  tether  resorts 


218 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 


to  its  former  plan  of  operations;  it  pulls  and  pulls,  only  the  bonds  not 
yielding  to  the  same  force  as  before,  the  horse,  following  the  groom's 
principle,  increases  the  strength  requisite  to  overpower  the  difficulty. 


THE  EFFECT  OF  THE   COLLAS-STKAP. 


A  man  being  defeated  in  his  first  essay,  probably  would  resign  him- 
self to  sullen  despair.  But  the  horse  is  possessed  of  a  different  order  of 
mind.  Man  can  conceive  a  futurity;  animals  have  a  knowledge  only  of 
the  past.  All  the  tales  told  of  animal  instincts  are  capable  of  explana- 
tion by  reference  to  their  experience.  Chastisement  or  chiding  must 
be  often  repeated  before  brute  intelligence  can  connect  the  infliction  of 
pain  with  the  commission  of  certain  acts.  But,  the  two  being  associ- 
ated, the  teaching  is  generally  retained,  and,  apparently,  remains  as 
fresh  in  the  memory  upon  the  day  of  death  as  it  was  upon  the  first 
acknowledgment  of  the  lesson.  The  horse  is,  however,  expected  only 
to  obey  certain  signs,  and  submit  to  certain  restraints.  Its  intellect 
remains,  therefore,  in  a  great  measure  uncultivated.  What  has  been 
once  must  be  again,  embraces  the  range  of  its  understanding. 

The  additional  chain,  consequently,  makes  no  alteration  in  the  be- 
havior of  the  horse.  Present  failure  only  excites  to  increased  exertion. 
The  entire  weight  and  the  utmost  strength  are  brought  to -bear  upon  the 
fastenings.  The  simple  quadruped,  incapable  of  calculating  the  prob- 
able results  of  the  sudden  absence  of  resistance,  plies  with  greater 
energy,  till  the  chains  snap,  and  the  huge  body,  instantaneously  re- 
leased, shoots  violently  backward.  Bones  have  been  broken.  Lame- 
ness is  the  general  result ;  but  lucky,  indeed,  is  the  creature  which  can 
rise  after  such  a  misfortune,  and  merely  display  several  huge  portions  of 
its  skin  abraded. 

The  reader  is  here  invited  to  examine  the  facts  which  have  resulted  in 
this  serious  damage  to  living  property.      To   bind   the  strong  is  not 


EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES.  219 

necessarily  to   subdue   the  strong.      To  fetter  the   creature  in  whose 
welfare   man  has  an  interest,  is  evidently  a  defiance  of  probabilities, 


THE   CHAINS   HAVE  BEEN   SUNDERED. 


though  it  may  not  have  been  intended  so  to  operate  when  the  bonds 
were  secured.  The  majority  of  horses  can  be  stayed  by  a  simple  show 
of  authority.  We  see  a  boy  hold  an  animal  from  which  the  strong 
man  has  newly  dismounted.  So  also  would  many  a  human  culprit  be 
secure  in  the  old-fashioned  prisons.  Jails,  however,  are  not  erected 
with  any  regard  for  the  passiveness  of  their  inhabitants;  but  such 
edifices  are  built  of  a  strength  which  may  defy  the  efforts  of  the  reso- 
lute, and  are  planned  with  an  intent  to  counteract  the  ingenuity  of  the 
most  cunning.  Not  so  with  stables.  These  edifices  are  erected  to  con- 
fine a  creature  possessing  ten  times  the  strength  of  any  human  being. 
^  The  partitions,  however,  are  of  wood,  and  the  bonds  usually  of  rope. 
Those  who  are  most  fluent  about  the  "vices"  of  the  equine  race  evi- 
dently never  thought  upon  the  possibility  of  the  animal  conceiving  a 
wish  to  escape ;  for  so  very  unequal  are  most  stables  to  their  contem- 
plated uses,  that  the  author  has  known  a  horse,  in  the  delirium  of 
agony,  kick  into  ruins  the  building  which,  during  health,  had  for  years 
served  to  confine  its  huge  capability  of  destruction. 

The  stable,  however,  is  essentially  a  prison ;  and  so  long  as  it  retains 
that  character,  it  should  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  resist  the  wildest 
efforts  of  the  captives.  Not  being  thus,  it  reflects  disgrace  on  those  who 
put  it  to  uses  for  which  the  building  is  unsuited.  The  animal,  being  in 
bondage,  loses  all  responsibility.  Its  safe  custody  is  the  duty  of  its 
self-constituted  keepers.  It  has  no  trust  reposed  in  it ;  and,  obviously, 
can  violate  no  faith.  It  is  held  in  durance  by  t^  right  of  the  strong; 
and  if  in  the  struggle  which  ensues  it  can  prove  the  strongest,  clearly 
the  right  which  imprisoned  it  is  upturned. 


220  EVILS    OF    MODERN"    STABLES. 

In  another  point  of  view,  the  decision  must  be  favorable  to  the  animal. 
Wature  has  gifted  the  horse  with  faculties,  and  blessed  it  with  instincts. 
Foremost  among  these  faculties  is,  a  facility  of  varied  motion,  displayed 
in  particular  yearnings ;  as  a  fondness  for  fresh  air,  green  fields,  and  a 
desire  to  roam  abroad,  unfettered,  in  the  company  of  its  kind.  Man 
violently  seizes  the  quadruped ;  without  caring  for  the  innate  promptings 
of  nature,  he  forces  his  slave  to  live,  severed  from  all  its  longings  and 
away  from  all  it  loves.  Which  is  the  horse  to  obey  ?  Is  it  to  deny  the 
charter  planted  by  its  Maker  within  its  bosom  ?  Or  is  it  any  crime  to 
rebel  against  the  will  which  will  shorten  its  life,  withhold  its  pleasures, 
and  cripple  its  body, — studying  nothing  but  the  pigmy's  personal  gain 
and  heartless  advantage  ? 

Then,  when  the  reader  turns  to  the  consideration  of  the  custodian's 
conduct.  Had  the  circumstances  deprived  him  of  all  choice,  and  limited 
his  means  of  restraining  to  a  doubling  of  the  customary  bonds  ?  It  is 
folly  for  the  weak  to  engage  in  a  muscular  contest  with  the  powerful.  It 
is  madness  for  the  feeble  to  place  dependence  on  straws,  when  the  design 
is  to  bind  a  giant.  In  both  respects  the  groom  was  in  fault.  Had  he 
only  thought  for  an  instant,  reason  would  have  suggested  that  plan  by 
which  the  resistance  of  the  horse  might  have  been  subdued,  and  his 
master's  property  might  have  continued  uninjured. 

The  animal's  struggles  expressed  merely  a  dislike  to  the  rope  attached 
to  the  head.  Two  fastenings  were  not  calculated  to  remove  the  abhor- 
rence which  a  single  bond  excited.  Had  the  horse  been  led  from  the 
stall  and  placed  in  the  solitary  chamber  of  a  loose  box,  the  change  had 
quieted  its  spirit.  At  so  small  an  expense  might  all  the  subsequent 
damage  have  been  avoided.  But  a  loose  box  does  not  acknowledge  the  f 
pride  of  man,  to  use  all  the  life  with  which  this  world  abounds  according 
to  his  convenience.  It  was  for  pride's  sake  that  mortality  waged  the 
battle ;  and  in  loss  did  pride  undergo  defeat. 

Endeavor  to  explain  the  reason  why  a  valuable  horse  has  been  dam- 
aged, to  any  professed  groom,  and  try  to  make  him  understand  how  the 
miscalled  accident  might  have  been  avoided; — the  man,  while  you  are 
speaking,  will  put  on  that  look  of  dogged  indifference  which  informs  you 
the  fellow  has  closed  his  comprehension  against  6very  argument.  When 
you  cease  talking,  the  servant  stares  you  in  the  face,  and  replies,  "He 
wants  no  gentl'man  to  teach  him  his  doty;"  and,  by  so  saying,  announces 
a  determination  to  persevere  in  that  course  of  conduct  which  has  induced 
such  lamentable  consequences.  There  are  men  in  this  world  who  only 
employ  their  reason  l|||  perpetuate  their  ignorance.  It  is  one  thing  to 
teach ;  but  it  is  more  difficult  to  find  a  pupil  willing  to  be  instructed. 

In  many  genteel  families,  stables  are  esteemed  as  places  in  jvhicb 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 


221 


lumber  may  be  stored;  while  grooms  are  regarded  as  odd  men,  always 
ready  to  be  engaged  upon  any  passing  necessity.  The  stable  attend- 
ant is  seldom  upon  the  locker ;  and  the  one  animal,  kept  for  fashionable 
purposes,  is  commonly  left  much  to  its  own  society.  The  creature,  thus 
housed,  does  not  generally  get  its  meals  with  regularity.  Many  hours 
are  made  longer,  endeavoring  to  discover  the  pastime  which  shall  lighten 
the  tedium  of  its  confinement.  A  melancholy  game  with  such  quad- 
rupeds consists  in  an  endeavor  to  hit  the  collar-rope  with  the  hoof  of  the 
fore  extremity. 

This  recreation,  to  the  reader  doubtless  appears  easy ;  but  to  the  horse 
it  presents  difficulties  sufficiently  numerous  to  keep  up  excitement.  The 
rope  is  a  small  object ;  it  is  situated  high  up ;  it  occupies  a  central  situa- 
tion. The  sinker  to  which  it  is  attached  keeps  it  always  straight,  and 
prevents  it  from  being  lowered.  The  cord,  moreover,  being  fastened  to 
the  head  of  the  quadruped,  moves  with  every  motion  of  the  body ;  the 
neck  cannot  be  held  stationary  when  the  limb  is  raised  to  any  unusual 
height.  The  game  may  endure  for  months,  without  the  animal  being 
so  unfortunate  as  to  succeed.  At  length  the  hoof  hits  the  mark  and 
becomes  fixed.  The  horse  instinctively  pulls  against  any  restraint.  The 
tether  is  thereby  rendered  tense,  and  the  pain  of  the  situation  becomes 
extreme.  At  last,  by  a  violent  eflfort,  the  foot  passes  over  the  bond, 
and  the  poor  captive  is  fixed,  until  the  groom  enters  the  building  and 
removes  the  sinker. 


A  FORELEG  OVER  THE  COLLAR-ROPE. 


The  lightest  consequence  must  be,  the  hair  abraded  from  the  back  of 
the  limb,  the  skin-  lacerated,  and  the  muscles  of  the  neck  sprained  by  the 
efforts  to  escape  from  constriction.     Lameness,  of  some  duration,  is  the 


2^2  EVILS    OF     MODERN     STABLES. 

usual  result.  Inquire  the  cause  of  mishap,  and  the  groom  will  petu- 
lantly inform  you  "it  were  occasioned  by  the  pranks  of  that  fidgety 
beast,  which  is  always  up  to  some  mischief."  Perhaps  you  object  to 
this  explanation,  replying,  '"Mischief  is  not  a  fitting  term,  since  it  sup- 
poses intentional  annoyance  to  another;  whereas  the  horse  has  injured 
no  one  but  itself"  The  man  stares  with  surprise,  and  rejoins,  "Ar'nt  it, 
though  !  But  it  has  injured  me  1  When  shall  I  ever  hear  the  last  of  it?" 
Truly,  the  stable  mind  must  quit  the  scene  of  its  present  labors,  before 
it  will  submit  to  be  enlightened.  It  is  now  so  protected  by  a  wall  of 
selfishness,  ignorance,  and  prejudice,  that  it  is  open  to  no  assault. 

This  misfortune  is,  however,  gravely  reckoned  one  of  the  "vices"  of 
the  stable.  It  is  seldom  repeated ;  but  a  single  instance  is  sufficient  to 
confer  the  "vicious"  character.  Poor  animal  1  When  even  mishaps  are 
regarded  as  the  planned  results  of  its  deliberate  wickedness.  Having  so 
many  virtues,  yet  not  credited  with  a  single  good  quality  I  Wholly  and 
entirely  misunderstood  !  Else,  who  in  this  accident  would  not  perceive 
intelligence  striving  to  invent  some  solitary  pastime,  which  might  while 
away  the  flagging  hours  ?  Else,  who  would  not  recognize  that  this 
evil  arose  out  of  the  foolish  custom  of  tying  up  an  active  creature  to  a 
manger  ?  Else,  who  could  fail  to  discern  that  a  loose  box  would  have 
rendered  such  an  injury  a  positive  impossibility  ? 

The  author  is  aware  that  were  horses  fitly  housed  and  properly 
treated,  the  expense  of  maintaining  these  creatures  must  be  increased. 
But  against  all  additional  cost  there  are  benefits  to  be  balanced.  The 
animal  would  live  more  than  thrice  as  long ;  it  would,  for  so  much 
greater  period,  be  fit  for  its  master's  service.  The  accidents  occasioned 
by  modern  stables  would  be  abolished;  the  sickness  and  the  disease, 
produced  by  inappropriate  food,  by  rigid  confinement  and  impure  air, 
would  cease  to  exist.  With  change  of  building,  there  should  also  be  a 
thorough  change  in  the  stable  attendant.  The  present  race  of  know- 
ing deformities  are  too  full  of  tricks  to  be  worthy  a  gentleman's  trust. 
The  groom  should  be  forbidden  ever  to  mount  an  animal,  save  in  obedi- 
ence to  his  superior's  special  command.  Now  the  men  ride  at  their" 
pleasure ;  as  a  consequence,  they  very  rarely  walk.  The  quadruped  is 
supposed  to  be  only  one  person's  property ;  but-  the  poor  drudge  has  to 
serve  "two  masters." 

Under  the  present  system,  the  horse  is  relinquished  to  the  pleasure  of 
the  servant.  The  man's  report  constitutes  the  all  of  a  proprietor's  knowl- 
edge. The  mansion,  therefore,  reflects  the  ignorance  and  the  prejudice  of 
the  stable.  The  persons  occupying  the  buildings  should  change  places. 
Most  masters  ride  slowly,  merely  exercising  the  nags.  Most  grooms  love 
speed,  and  in  reality  wear  out  the  lives  which  credulity  thinks  sacreu  to 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES.  223 

another's  service.  .  Yet,  though  surrounded  by  abuse,  ill  treated  and 
often  robbed  of  its  food,  the  creature  has  no  voice  with  which  to  accuse 
or  to  complain.  There  is  no  one  who  even  cares  for  its  welfare.  It  is 
credited  with  every  "vice"  and  supposed  to  delight  in  malice.  It  is 
imprisoned,  beaten,  libeled,  and  nevertheless  gentlemen  are  often  en- 
countered who  pride  themselves  upon  the  care  and  the  money  which 
are  lavished  upon  their  stables. 

When  all  that  concerns  mankind — the  formation  of  their  houses,  their 
kind  of  food,  their  dress  and  manners,  their  laws  and  customs — have, 
with  the  progress  of  the  period,  thoroughly  changed ;  even  to  such  an 
extent  has  this  alteration  been  accomplished  that  it  has  been  often  said, 
w^e  our  ancestors  resuscitated,  they  would  not  recognize  the  land  of 
their  birth;  it  becomes  very  painful  for  the  mind  to  perceive  that  the 
habits  and  usages  which  formerly  surrounded  the  horse  remain  to  this 
day  all  but  unaltered.  It  is  a  proof  of  the  indifference  which  encircles 
the  stable,  when  the  buildings  erected  to  receive  horses  at  the  Royal 
Yeterinary  College,  and  which  date  from  the  last  century,  are,  at  the 
present  moment,  regarded  as  models  of  perfection.  Man  cares  only  for 
himself:  of  his  property  in  the  life  which  he  imprisons,  he  evidently 
takes  no  heed.  He  pays  dearly  for  his  carelessness;  and  "the  beast 
within  his  gate "  shares  none  of  those  blessings  which  Providence  has 
allowed  the  human  race  to  enjoy,  although  religion  should  teach  him 
that  the  mere  mention  of  such  a  possession  by  Deity,  ought  to  enforce  a 
duty  upon  humanity  I 

Another  so-named  "vice"  of  the  horse  is  frequently  the  occasion  of 
more  serious  results  than  any  of  the  before-mentioned  accidents.  No 
person  has  hitherto  explained  why  the  skin  should  be  more  irritable  by 
night  than  during  the  daytime.  Such,  however,  is  the  case  with  horses, 
as  it  is  with  men.  A  quadruped  in  the  morning  is  often  found  disfigured 
by  the  hair  being  removed  from  comparatively  large  surfaces.  Itchiness 
has  provoked  the  animal  to  rub  itself  against  any  prominence,  or  to 
scratch  its  body  with  the  toe  of  its  iron  shoe ;  this  indulgence  has 
caused  the  blemish. 

Itching  and  scratching  are  numbered  among  the  worst  "  vices  "  of  the 
stable.  Such  faults,  however,  are  only  discovered  in  their  effects ;  the 
groom  never  estimates,  when  flogging  an  animal  for  this  wickedness, 
how  far  the  abhorred  sin  may  have  been  produced  by  stimulating  diet, 
by  want  of  exercise,  and  by  impure  atmosphere.  No  1  He  clothes  up 
the  body  of  the  animal ;  shuts  every  window ;  stops  every  cranny ;  and 
locks  the  stable  door  for  the  night.  The  last  meal  being  consumed,  and 
the  quadrupeds  not  being  inclined  for  sleep,  they  one  and  all  begin  to 
itch.     Legs  are  nibbled;  necks  are  rubbed;  and  tails  are  lashed.     At 


224 


EYILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 


length  one  is  sensible  of  an  irritation  behind  the  ear.  The  head  is  turned 
toward  the  side ;  the  body  is  curved  to  the  full  extent ;  and  the  hind  leg 
brought  forward.  Then,  the  groom  not  being  present,  the  toe  of  the  hind 
shoe  can  touch  the  part,  and  the  horse  luxuriates  in  a  hearty  titillation. 

When  the  head  was  turned, toward  the  quarters,  however,  the  collar- 
rope,  being  attached  to  the  halter,  was  also  stretched  in  that  direction. 
The  hind  foot  having  performed  its  office,  a  desire  is  felt  to  return  it  to 
the  natural  position.  The  attempt  is  made  ;  but  this  is  found  to  be  im- 
practicable. The  creature  strains  against  the  opposing  force,  but  its 
struggles  only  render  its  comfortless  attitude  the  more  fixed.  The  truth 
is,  that  while  devoted  to  the  act  which  allays  cuticular  irritability,  the 
pastern  has  slipped  over  the  collar-rope.  Such  a  mishap  not  only  fiies 
the  leg,  but  fastens  the  head.  With  the  neck  bent  and  one  leg  disabled, 
the  animal  cannot  exert  half  its  power ;  neither  can  simplicity  compre- 
hend the  source  of  its  unnatural  constraint.  Long  continuance  of  the 
position  becomes  painful;  alarm  seizes  upon  timidity;  the  struggles 
grow  desperate ;  and  the  poor  quadruped,  at  length,  is  cast  with  terrible 
violence  upon  the  straw  which  had  been  shaken  down  for  its  repose. 


CAST  IN  THE  COllAR-ROPE. 


The  animal  is  lucky  which  should  be  overthrown  in  a  limited  space 
and  escape  serious  misfortune.  It  can  hardly  encounter  such  an  acci- 
dent and  rise  from  the  ground  uninjured.  The  slightest  consequences 
are  contused  wounds  or  fractures  of  small  osseous  prominences.  The 
worst  result,  however,  usually  follows  the  body  being  forcibly  contorted 
throughout  an  entire  night.     Bones  have  been  dislocated,  or  a  limb  has 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES.  225 

been  so  sprained  as  never  to  have  recovered  its  ^notions.  Neckg  have 
never  afterward  been  restored  to  their  pristine  grace  of  motion ;  and,  in 
short,  a  valuable  servant  has,  by  such  a  misfortune,  been  so  "wrenched 
from  its  propriety,"  as  to  be  rendered  utterly  useless.  Nevertheless,  the 
groom  will  persevere  in  hailing  the  fate  of  an  animal  which  has  been 
cast  in  the  collar-rope  &s  a  just  punishment  induced  by  the  sufferer's 
inveterate  "vice." 

Carters  are  open  to  complaint,  because  their  horses  are  "  cast  in  the 
halter,"  even  to  a  greater  degree  than  those  of  town  grooms.  In  agricul- 
tural districts,  it  is  a  common  practice  to  turn  the  teams  out  to  graze 
during  the  night,  and  to  take  them  from  the  field  to  work  in  the  morn- 
ing. Some  animals,  however,  prove  troublesome  to  catch,  preferring  the 
cool  grass  and  partial  liberty  to  exhausting  toil  upon  an  arid  roadway. 
To  facilitate  the  capture  of  such  quadrupeds,  many  carters,  when  freeing 
the  creature,  will  not  remove  the  halter,  but  suffer  it  to  remain,  because 
this  affords  a  ready  hold  for  the  person  who  fetches  in  the  horses  on  the 
following  day.  The  result  is  easily  anticipated.  The  ear  itches.  The 
foot,  scratching  the  part,  gets  entangled,  and  that  which  was  a  valuable 
horse  on  the  previous  night,  is  found,  in  the  dawning  hght,  to  be  a  dis- 
abled cripple,  or  a  worthless  carcass. 

The  sane  mind  will,  however,  behold  in  this  misfortune  only  a  start- 
ling proof  of  the  folly  which  ties  the  head  to  a  manger,  and  leaves  the 
animal  at  the  hazard  of  a  fearful  accident.  Such  events  have  been  com- 
mon ever  since  the  race  was  first  domesticated;  yet,  to  this  day,  the 
custom  is  practiced.  Where  one  quadruped  enjoys  a  loose  box,  ten 
thousand  are  confined  to  the  manger.  Neither  loss  nor  the  spectacle  of 
the  misery  produced  by  his  folly  seems  able  to  instruct  man  where  the 
life  of  another  is  delivered  over  to  his  keeping.  As,  in  America,  the 
master  coerces  and  lashes  his  slave,  so,  in  England,  do  proprietors  starve, 
torture,  and  slay  the  animals  which  all  pretend  to  love.  The  devotion 
of  a  life  cannot  even  purchase  those  necessaries  which  are  needful  for 
the  preservation  of  health.  Though  the  strength  and  the  service  are 
contingent  upon  the  maintenance  of  bodily  vigor,  man,  with  the  capri- 
ciousness  of  tyranny,  is  neglectful  of  that  upon  the  continuance  of  which 
the  value  of  his  possession  entirely  depends. 

It  may  be  urged  that  the  size  of  the  horse's  body  necessarily  Hmits 
the  dimensions  of  its  abiding-place.  This  is  a  strange  reason ;  but  it  is 
one  commonly  used  among  architects.  We,  however,  do  not  apply  the 
principle  to  our  own  race.  Because  the  Horse  Guards  are  tall  men,  we 
do  not  insist  they  should  sleep  in  infants'  cots,  or  wear  the  clothes  of 
children.  Giants  are  not  forced  to  inhabit  the  houses  fit  only  for  dwarfs. 
Neither  do  we  carry  out  the  maxim  with  other  creatures.     Large  rab- 

15 


226  EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 

bits  boyi  put  into  large  hutches.  Were  smaller  horses  desired,  ponies, 
even  no  higher  than  full-sized  dogs,  are  not  scarce.  But  greater  weight 
and  strength  enable  the  quadrupeds  to  perform  larger  services.  Does  it 
not  seem  like  meanness  to  select  size  for  our  own  purposes,  yet,  where 
the  creature  is  concerned,  to  make  size  a  motive  for  stinting  the  neces- 
sities ?  The  horse  is  useful  to  man  in  proportion  to  its  magnitude ; 
and  the  poor  slave,  therefore,  ought  not  to  feel  the  bulk  to  be  its  mis- 
fortune ! 

The  author  cannot  here  report  the  grooms'  opinions  upon  such  a  topic, 
though,  doubtless,  these  persons  would  be  the  advocates  of  misrule. 
There  is  no  class,  however,  which  suffers  more  than  stable-men,  from 
the  present  custom  of  confining  horses.  On  cold,  wintry  nights,  when 
snow  is  on  the  ground,  these  persons,  who  generally  live  above  the 
stable,  are  often  awakened  from  their  first  sleep,  forced  to  leap  from 
warm  beds,  and,  thinly  clad,  to  hurry  down  stairs  to  quiet  the  horses. 
The  entire  stable  are  lashing  out  at  the  same  moment.  Each  hoof 
seems  to  be  leveled  at  the  stall  post,  which  all  violently  strike ;  hence 
the  disturbance. 

But  what  occasions  horses  to  kick  by  night  ?  That  question  is  per- 
haps best  answered  by  another.  What  occasions  children  to  cry  by 
night  ?  Botb  wake  suddenly,  and  each  finds  darkness  or  solitude  and 
silence  around  it.  The  horse  is  a  timid  creature,  and  it  is  of  a  limited 
intelligence.  Children  are  not  generally  conspicuous  for  courage,  and, 
in  them,  the  reason  is  undeveloped.  Infants  are  born  with  a  natural 
sense  of  helplessness;  hence  they  are  the  easy  victims  of  alarm,  and 
when  frightened,  they  scream  aloud.  Horses  are  brought  into  the  world 
with  an  instinctive  dependence  on  the  propulsion  of  the  heels,  and  when 
frightened,  they  kick.  Children  have  starred  up  from  fearful  dreams, 
and  have  screamed  themselves  into  fits.  Animals  also  dream ;  horses 
having  awakened  suddenly,  have  used  their  heels  as  a  defense,  and 
have  been  found  lying  dead  upon  the  ruins  of  a  battered  wall  in  the 
morning  1 

The  feet,  when  cast  out,  hit  the  stall  post.  The  blackness  of  night 
prevails  throughout  the  place;  or  fear  being  kindled,  the  vision  is 
abused.  No  eye  can  pierce  utter  darkness,  and  terror  lends  shape  or 
form  to  every  obstacle  which  the  hoof  encounters.  The  dread  which 
sleep  has  generated,  the  awakened  perception  seems  to  confirm.  The 
animal  lashes  out  with  redoubled  violence.  The  noise  made  by  the  act 
soon  arouses  its  companions.  Nothing  is  so  sympathetic  as  horror. 
Armies  have  been  actuated  by  panics.  Why,  therefore,  should  animals 
escape  from  such  senseless  emotions  ?  When  thousands  of  men  have 
scampered  away  from  no  existing  peril,  cannot  the  readei*  anderstand 


EVILS    OF     MODERN     STABLES. 


227 


V 


that  many  animals  may  be  impelled  by  a  feeling  of  fear,  when  no  dangei 
is  present  ? 

This  is  sooner  admitted,  when  it  is  perceived  that  the  fancy  is  active 
in  proportion  as  the  intellect  is  weak :  the  groom,  not  having  a  very 
powerful  understanding,  nor  having  yet  slept  off  the  potions  and  fumes 
of  the  previous  evening,  curses  those  "vicious  varmints,"  as  he  shiver- 
ingly  opens  the  stable  door.  No  sooner,  however,  does  the  candle 
illumine,  or  his  presence  destroy  the  loneliness  of  the  place,  than  fearful 
eyes  cast  backward  glances,  and  seeing  nothing,  all  instantly  becomes 
silent.  Our  engraving  of  the  above  incident  represents  every  horse  in 
action;  though,  frequently,  the  more  slothful  will  remain  passive,  not- 
withstanding the  tumult  which  prevails  around  them. 


KIOEINO  IN  THE  NIQHT. 


This  is  the  effect  invariably  produced,  as  soon  as  the  quadrupeds  have 
sufficiently  mastered  their  terror  to  regain  their  natural  perceptions. 
Sometimes,  however,  a  minute  may  elapse  before  consciousness  is  per- 
fectly restored.  That  is  the  period  of  danger.  Many  silly  fellows, 
impatient  of  their  thin  clothing,  pierced  by  the  frosty  air,  will  approach 
the  animals,  during  the  interval,  without  remembering  that  though  his 


228  EVILS    OF    MODERN     STABLES. 

v^oice  may  produce  its  usual  effect,  his  costume  is  altogether  a  disguise. 
The  man  not  being  recognized,  his  strange  figure  may  renew  the  general 
alarm  :  when  the  gangway,  having  on  both  sides  the  hind  feet  of  terrified 
horses  projected  into  it,  becomes  anything  but  a  safe  promenade. 

Now,  what  produced  this  excitement  of  the  stable  ?  It  was  not  the 
dream  of  one  animal  which  caused  it.  That  may  have  commenced  the 
tumult,  but  it  was  not  of  itself  necessary  to  the  perpetuation  of  the 
uproar.  The  hoof  of  one  quadruped  striking  the  stall  post  also  was 
distinct  from  the  subsequent  noise,  which  started  into  existence  only 
with  the  spread  of  alarm.  Then  was  generated  the  terror ;  for  the  feel- 
ing must  have  preceded  the  act,  which  announced  itself  by  violence.  It 
was  the  darkness  or  the  silent  solitude  of  the  night  which  allowed  full 
play  to  the  fancy,  and  conjured  up  those  shadows  that  drove  the  horses 
into  temporary  madness. 

Had  not  the  heads  been  fastened,  the  animals,  by  moving  about,  could 
in  some  measure  have  tested  the  reality  of  their  fears.  But,  fastened  to 
one  spot,  the  fact  of  having  no  ability  to  escape  augmented  that  alarm 
which  the  darkness  of  the  stable  and  the  oppression  of  silence  caused 
and  subsequently  confirmed.  A  loose  box  and  a  little  light  would  have 
rendered  this  noise  an  impossibility  1  The  horse's  eye  can  see  perfectly 
in  that  dusk  which  to  the  feebler  vision  of  man  might  represent  an 
approach  to  positive  blackness.  There  are  few  horsemen  who,  when 
riding  by  night,  have  not  had  reason  to  be  grateful  to  the  keen  percep- 
tion of  their  four-footed  servants.  There  are,  however,  fewer  horsemen 
who  are  aware  whence  the  animal  derives  this  faculty  of  distinguishing 
objects  in  all  but  perfect  darkness. 

Cats,  owls,  and  other  creatures  are  popularly  reported  to  see  in  the 
dark.  The  discernment  of  every  form  of  vision  is  disabled  by  perfect 
darkness ;  but  the  eyes  of  such  animals  are  so  constructed  as  to  collect 
and  reflect  upon  the  optic  nerve  any  remaining  ray  of  light.  The  horse 
has  an  eye  endowed  with  a  similar  faculty.  Most  people  must  have 
observed  that  horses  assemble  under  the  trees,  and  apparently  sleep 
during  the  daytime.  Who,  however,  ever  beheld  one  of  the  equine  race 
resting  during  the  night  ?  When  summer  prevails,  night  is  the  feeding 
time  of  these  quadrupeds.  When  the  flies  are  no  longer  abroad,  but 
the  dewy  grass  is  cool  and  crisp  to  the  bite, — when  the  absence  of  glare 
soothes  the  sight  is  the  period  of  equine  enjoyment  and  the  season  of 
equine  watchfulness.  Does  not  the  reader  acknowledge  intention  in 
such  circumstances  ?  The  carnivora,  all  of  which  delight  in  the  flesh  of 
the  steed,  prowl  by  night,  and  abound  in  those  regions  of  which  the 
horse  was  originally  a  native.  For  the  conservation  of  the  tribe,  there- 
fore, these  creatures  were  formed  very  fleet,  very  endu'-mg,  but  no  less 


EVILS    OF     MODERN    STABLES.  229 

quick  to  detect  the  approach  of  an  enemy,  being  as  restless  by  night  as 
the  beasts  which  esteem  the  horse's  carcass  a  favorite  repast. 

The  steed,  therefore,  does  not  require  a  chandelier  to  be  fully  illumined 
and  to  be  suspended  in  the  middle  of  the  gangway.  An  ordinary  night 
light  would  enable  the  animal  to  see  perfectly  over  a  large  building; 
and  the  expense,  when  divided  among  numerous  individuals,  would  for 
each  be  too  small  for  any  English  coin  to  represent.  No  light,  however, 
could  prevent  some  quadruped  occasionally  waking  up,  and  in  the  fright 
of  imperfect  consciousness  flinging  out  both  its  heels.  Such  accidents 
no  forethought  could  anticipate.  But  a  slight  flame,  only  sufficient  to 
dispel  absolute  darkness,  would  mitigate  if  not  quite  abolish  those  panics 
during  which  every  foot  in  the  stable  is  employed  to  create  the  greatest 
attainable  noise. 

There  is  another  so-called  "vice,"  which  is  more  directly  brought 
home  to  the  groom  than  any  of  the  previous  mishaps.  Probably  the 
statement  may,  to  the  reader,  appear  impossible,  which  asserts  that  the 
servant  can  impose  upon  the  master  so  many  of  his  own  faults  as  proofs 
of  "mischief"  on  the  part  of  an  innocent  quadruped  which  it  is  the 
menial's  duty  to  look  after.  This  cheat  the  fellow  is  enabled  to  prac- 
tice chiefly  because  he  is  supposed  to  be  incapable  of  explaining  or  of 
distorting  those  circumstances  which  he  reports.  Thus  mishaps  are 
called  according  to  their  final  effects ;  and  no  notice  is  ever  given  to  the 
causes  which  led  to  such  results.  A  horse  is  said  to  have  "leapt  into 
the  manger;"  "to  have  broken  loose;"  "to  have  gnawed  the  collar- 
rope;"  "to  have  got  one  leg  over  the  collar-rope;"  "to  have  cast  itself 
in  the  collar-rope,"  etc. 

Were  inquiries  instituted,  the  truth,  no  doubt,  would  be  speedily  dis- 
covered, and  long  ago  a  remedy  would  have  been  apportioned.  No 
domestic,  however,  enjoys  so  much  of  the  master's  implicit  confidence 
as  he  who  governs  the  stable.  Persons,  moreover,  of  the  class  re- 
spectable are  far  more  swayed  by  their  servants  than  might  be  pleasant 
for  the  gentlemen  to  acknowledge.  Under  this  feeling,  a  vast  amount 
of  abuse  lies  concealed,  for  the  weakness  is  by  no  means  responded  to 
by  respect  from  the  inferior.  The  "  respectable  "  is  always  asserting  his 
dignity,  and  afterward  compounding  for  hastily-spoken  words.  The 
groom  neither  forgets  nor  forgives  these  verbal  injuries,  although  his 
mind  is  amply  stored  with  maxims  against  upstarts,  to  protect  his  vanity 
from  any  wholesome  teaching  which  the  admonitions  might  convey. 

Gentlemen,  when  detained  late  abroad,  generally  ride  home  fast; 
partly,  from  a  consciousness  that  it  is  long  past  their  usual  hour  of 
"retiring  for  the  night,"  and  partly,  because  they  know  the  groom  is 
"waiting  up"  for  their  return.     When  the  stable  is  reached,  the  coat 


28ft  EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 

of  the  horse  may  be  wet  with  perspiration ;  or  a  badly -made  saddle 
may  have  disturbed  the  smoothness  of  the  hair ;  or  the  night  may  prove 
rainy,  aui  the  animal  be  brought  home  drenched  to  the  skin.  There 
are  other  causes ;  but  be  they  what  they  may,  the  master  walks  off  to 
bed,  while  the  servant,  noting  the  example,  extracts  from  it  no  additional 
humor  to  discharge  his  duty.  The  man  is,  likewise,  cross  and  sleepy. 
He  turns  the  horse  into  the  stall  without  attempting  to  dress  it.  He 
places  oats  and  hay  before  the  quadruped,  and  says,  "If  gentl'men  will 
remain  out  till  all  'ours  o'  the  night,  they  may  sit  up  and  dress  their  oss 
'emselves ;  for  it  is  rather  too  much  to  expect  any  se'vant,  after  a  'ard 
day's  work,  to  keep  out  of  his  bed  and  do  it  for  'em."  Accordingly,  the 
man  hurries  to  his  room,  and  soon  sleeps  soundly. 

The  quadruped,  when  the  satisfaction  of  hunger  allows  the  personal 
feelings  to  be  appreciated,  becomes  aware  that  the  partial  dryness  of  the 
coat  has  produced  much  irritability  of  the  skin.  The  animal,  therefore, 
throws  itself  down,  and  commences  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  a  roll  among 
the  straw.  Darkness  disables  the  vision ;  but,  were  the  light  at  its  greatest 
power,  the  horse,  in  its  state  of  torture,  would  probably  notice  nothing 
about  it,  for  domestication  destroys  the  natural  instincts  of  all  animals, 
making  man  the  custodian  of  the  cares  as  well  as  the  bodies  of  the  cap- 
tives. The  paving  of  the  stall,  also,  being  highest  near  to  the  manger, 
the  inclination  of  the  floor,  together  with  the  writhing  of  the  body,  oc- 
casions the  quadruped  to  insensibly  slide  backward,  until  the  tension  of 
the  collar-rope  forbids  its  further  progress. 

This  check  induces  the  wish  to  rise;  an  attempt  is  made  to  bring  the 
legs  under  the  body  for  that  object.  But  as  this  movement  is  endeavored 
to  be  accomplished,  the  hinder  shins  strike  violently  against  some  hard 
substance.  The  effort  is  renewed  again  and  again ;  till  the  animal,  de- 
prived of  sight  and  prevented  from  supplying  the  loss  of  one  sense  by 
the  exercise  of  another,  ultimately  becomes  alarmed,  and  the  struggle 
commences,  during  which  the  hind  legs  are  certain  to  be  bruised,  abraded, 
or  other  evils  are  sure  to  be  inflicted  upon  the  organs  of  propulsion. 
Nor  is  this  all  the  peril  in  which  the  creature  is  now  placed.  Noise 
awakens  the  natural  timidity  of  the  companions ;  and  should  other  horses 
be  startled  by  the  violent  drumming  on  the  partitions,  probably  they 
will  become  the  victims  of  alarm.  The  sight  of  the  animals  is  likewise 
useless  in  the  utter  darkness ;  and  horses,  when  frightened,  usually  "hang 
back,"  or  try  to  escape  from  the  ropes  which  fasten  the  heads  to  the 
several  mangers. 

Under  such  an  impulse,  the  obtruding  legs  stand  a  good  cliance  of 
being  broken ;  and  the  animal  then  must  remain  in  its  misery  till  master 
has  approved  the  employment  of  a  pistol.      Should  nothing  beyond 


EVILS    OF    MODERN    STABLES. 


231 


bruise  and  abrasion  be  present,  the  groom  himself  undertakes  the  imme- 
diate relief.  Another  man  is  procured,  and  the  knot  below  the  sinker 
being  untied,  the  head  is  released  from  the  manger.  But  it  is  not  usual 
for  quadrupeds,  after  such  a  misfortune,  to  rise  immediately.  However, 
the  servant  always  hopes  for  the  best,  so  he  and  his  assistant  jointly 
pull  at  the  tail  till  the  legs  are  free  from  impediment,  and  then  leave  the 
wounded  creature  for  master's  wonder  and  inspection. 


A  HORSE  CAST  BT  ROLUNG  IN  THE  UAMGEB. 


A   HORSE  BEINQ   RELEASED   FROM  THE   PREVIOUS 
SITUATION. 


The  remedies  applied  to  all  injuries  (excepting  fractures)  which  occur 
in  the  stable  are  equally  simple,  and  few  in  number.  These  consist  of  a 
lotion,  composed  of  two  ounces  of  tincture  of  arnica,  which  is  put  into 
a  pint  bottle,  to  be  subsequently  filled  up  with  water.  This  is  used  till 
all  symptoms  of  bruise  or  swelling  have  disappeared,  after  which  another 
lotion  is  to  replace  the  first.  This  last  is  formed  by  adding  one  grain  of 
chloride  of  zinc  to  every  ounce  of  water,  or  one  scruple  to  each  meas- 
ured pint  of  fluid.  These  lotions  are  to  be  applied  frequently,  not 
directly  to  the  injury  itself,  but  a  sponge,  saturated  with  each  liquid,  is 
to  be  squeezed  dry  above  the  sore,  the  moisture  being  allowed  to  trickle 
over  the  wound. 

The  strongest  testimony,  however,  against  stables,  as  such  buildings 
are  at  present  erected,  is  perhaps  borne  by  the  animals  which  inhabit 
those  places.  The  horse  is  a  delicate  test,  which  man  would  do  well  to 
attentively  observe  when  he  is  desirous  of  ascertaining  the  healthfulness 
of  any  locality.    Naturally  it  is  all  animation  and  gayety  of  spirit.    But, 


232 


EVILS    OP    MODERN    STABLES. 


however  much  these  qualities  may  be  esteemed,  such  equine  recom- 
mendations will  soon  fade  before  the  joint  influence  of  impure  air  and 
close  confinement,  although  you  may  groom  and  feed  at  discretion.  The 
natural  period  of  life  is  diminished  one-half,  while  much  more  than  half 
of  the  remaining  years  is  rendered  useless  by  age,  prematurely  brought 
on  by  inappropriate  treatment. 


THE  EXPRESSION  OP  CODNTENANCE  INDUCED  BT  LONG  8TAGNAXI0N  IN  THE  BTAIi 
OP  A  WELL-PEOVIDED  STABLE. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

THE  FAULTS  INSEPARABLE   FROM  MOST  PRESENT   ERECTIONS  WHICH  ARE 
USED  AS  STABLES, 

No  gentleman  regards  his  country-seat  as  finished  until  to  it  ample 
stabling  is  appended.  The  mansion  is  the  first  thing  looked  to.  All  its 
rooms  must  be  noble ;  all  its  offices  must  be  convenient.  The  pleasure- 
grounds  must  be  magnificent ;  the  kitchen-garden  should  be  much  larger 
than  is  absolutely  necessary.  Nothing  must  interrupt  the  view  from 
the  drawing-room  windows.  A  park,  or  its  imitation,  must  terminate 
the  lawn.  No  wood  must  be  sacrificed.  Everything  must  imply  more 
wealth  than  the  owner's  purse  actually  contains.  As  to  stables,  of 
course  they  must  be  most  excellent ;  only,  being  situated  in  the  back- 
ground, no  great  expense  need  be  lavished  on  such  out-buildings ;  any 
waste  spot  will  serve  for  their  erection.  A  small  space,  judiciously  em- 
plo5^ed,  can  be  made  to  house  a  great  number  of  horses. 

The  architect,  being  informed  of  the  wishes  of  his  employer,  unhesi- 
tatingly asserts  that  four  feet,  or  four  feet  six,  or,  in  extreme  cases,  five 
feet,  are  considered  ample  width  for  stalls.  The  proprietor  agrees  to 
grant  the  last-named  space  for  the  abiding-place  by  day  of  a  living 
horse,  and  the  spot  on  which  rest  must  be  enjoyed  during  night  by  the 
same  huge  quadruped.  Many  a  human  pigmy  sleeps  on  a  more  ample 
couch,  which,  moreover,  is  situated  in  a  spacious  chamber.  Such  is  the 
distinction  drawn  between  master  and  slave;  although,  when  rightly 
considered,  life  is  but  life,  and  the  larger  animal  has  the  greater  neces- 
sity for  more  abundant  air ! 

This  decided,  the  gentleman  rubs  his  hands,  and,  warmed  by  the  con- 
templation of  his  own  liberality,  applauds  "the  nice  arrangements," 
which  he  has  sanctioned  "regardless  of  expense."  But  the  carriage- 
house,  he  is  positive,  shall  be  built  quite  large  enough.  He  cannot 
forget  that  those  rascals  grazed  his  last  new  vehicle  on  the  very  day  it 
came  home  from  Long  Acre.  The  accident  happened  while  putting  it 
mto  a  narrow  building.  No  1  Let  what  will  be  cramped,  the  carriage- 
homfic  must  be  spacious. 

(233) 


234  FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 

Thus,  men  take  much  care  of  that  species  of  property  which,  being 
damaged,  can  be  repaired  for  money ;  but  they  treat  with  neglect,  and 
thrust  into  unwholesome  corners,  that  life  which,  when  injured,  not 
all  the  wealth  accumulated  upon  this  globe  could  restore  to  soundness. 
With  the  inanimate,  there  is  nothing  to  remove  the  full  force  of  blame, 
which  man  must  accept  as  his  fault  alone.  The  deterioration  of  such 
articles,  when  it  occurs,  cannot  be  laid  to  the  charge  of  any  other  living 
being.  This  renders  man  more  careful  of  such  things.  With  life,  there 
is  always  something  which  can  be  made  to  take  the  weight  of  culpability 
from  the  master's  shoulders.  The  horse  was  obstinate ;  it  had  a  bad 
temper ;  it  possessed  a  vile  mouth ;  it  bolted ;  it  refused ;  it  shied ;  it 
reared ;  it  jibbed ;  it  kicked,  or,  in  some  way,  it  resolved  not  to  do  its 
duty.  The  dumb  creature  can  make  no  answer  to  the  accusation ;  and 
human  nature  is  readily  convinced  of  its  impartiality  when  its  errors 
have  been  mainly  cast  upon  another  life. 

The  builder  is,  of  course,  governed  by  the  architect ;  the  architect  is 
anxious  to  exhibit  plans  which  shall  elicit  the  approval  of  the  proprietor. 
So,  in  the  end,  those  arrangements,  upon  which  the  well-being  and  the 
health  of  many  lives  must  depend,  rest  upon  the  caprice  of  an  elderly 
gentleman,  who  now,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  may  give  serious 
thought  to  such  a  subject.  However,  this  is  the  rule,  whether  a  house 
is  intended  for  a  family  residence  or  is  erec'ied  as  a  speculation :  the 
stables  almost  invariably  occupy  the  space  which  is  left  after  every  other 
want  is  satisfied. 

When  picturing  one,  the  author  designs  to  portray  most  modern 
stables:  very  few  of  which  are  erected  after  maturer  considerations 
than  the  imaginary  elderly  gentleman  has  bestowed  upon  his  contem- 
plated "out-houses."  Proverbially,  according  to  this  world's  usages,  the 
submissive  are  the  abused;  it  would  indeed  be  difficult  to  discover  a 
more  perfect  type  of  absolute  submission  than  is  exemplified  in  the 
powerful  body  of  a  domesticated  horse.  Are  we,  therefore,  to  conclude 
that  in  this  attribute  lies  the  reason  why  it  is  the  most  ill-treated,  the 
worst-nourished,  and  the  meanest-lodged  of  the  many  inhabitant?  upon 
this  earth  ? 

However,  that  the  writer  may  not  be  accused  of  drawing  on  his  fancy, 
or  of  representing  as  actualities  things  which  have  no  existence  in  fact, 
he  will,  where  reference  is  necessary,  quote  from  the  pages  of  a  work 
on  "  Stable  Economy,"  written  by  Professor  Stewart,  of  Glasgow.  This 
book,  when  a  pupil  at  the  Royal  Yeterinary  College  of  London,  was 
purchased  by  the  author,  he  being  induced  to  procure  it  by  the  high 
character  which  it  bore  among  the  members  of  his  profession.  There- 
fore it  is  selected  as  an  authority  upon  the  subject  of  which  it  treats; 


FAULTS  INSEPARABLE  FROM  STABLES.     235 

and  wlien  quoting  it,  the  present  writer  will,  so  far  as  may  be  prudent, 
forbear  to  adduce  his  personal  opinions. 

Concerning  doors,  permitting  egress  from  and  allowing  entrance  into 
stables,  Professor  Stewart  directs  that  these  should  be  made  "eight  or 
eight  and  a  half  feet  high  and  five  feet  wide."  The  dimensions  here 
laid  down  are  evidently  regarded  as  large  or  of  model  amplitude ;  for, 
subsequently,  we  are  informed  "accidents  often  happen  from  having 
doors  too  low  and  too  narrow."  Aware,  therefore,  of  the  necessity  for 
space,  the  Professor  must  have  imagined  he  had  allowed  room  sufficient 
to  anticipate  those  accidents  which  he  was  contemplating,  when  the 
passage  was  indited.  The  reader  may,  therefore,  reasonably  conjecture 
that,  when  proposing  the  above  measurement,  the  Professor  not  only 
thought  he  had  permitted  every  requisite  freedom,  but  that  he  had  even 
provided  large  marginal  capacity  for  extraordinary  occasions. 

Certainly,  when  compared  with  the  vast  majority  of  existing  door- 
ways, the  proposed  entrance  may  be  viewed  as  exceeding  the  utmost 
limit  of  boundless  liberality.  The  next  sentence  encountered  in  the 
book  already  referred  to,  apprises  the  reader  that  "  three  feet  six  inches 
is  the  usual  width  of  a  stable  doorway;  a  few  are  four  feet."  Conse- 
quently, the  author  of  "  Stable  Economy,"  warming  as  he  contemplates 
the  munificence  of  his  conception,  adds,  "no  care  is  necessary,  when  taking 
a  horse  through  a  space  five  feet  wide  and  eight  feet  six  inches  high !" 

Nevertheless,  though  the  difference  between  the  height  and  bulk  of 
man  and  horse  is  altogether  in  favor  of  the  animal,  there  are  many  doors 
admitting  people  to  human  habitations,  which  considerably  exceed  the 
dimensions  laid  down  by  a  kindly  disposed  and  an  amiable  writer,  as 
the  utmost  space  necessary  for  man  and  horse,  simultaneously,  to  pass 
through.  Within  the  domiciles  of  the  lesser  creature,  it  is  by  no  means 
a  rarity  to  discover  entrances  of  a  much  greater  height  than  Professor 
Stewart  allows  his  imaginary  model  stable  to  possess. 

Many  gentlemen  love  to  own  tall  horses.  Persons  having  such  a 
taste  will  not  look  at  an  animal  unless  it  stands  sixteen  hands  high; 
or  unless  it  will  measure  five  feet  four  inches  from  the  top  margin  of  the 
withers  to  the  ground.  The  foregoing  measurement,  however,  does  not 
allow  for  the  head  and  neck,  which,  though  not  reckoned  in  the  general 
estimate  of  equine  altitude,  still  cannot  be  left  behind  when  the  horse 
quits  the  stable.  Some  animals  exceed  sixteen  hands :  such  quadrupeds, 
if  they  carried  high  crests,  would  have  to  lower  their  ears  when  passing 
under  one  of  those  beams  which  the  learned  Professor  evidently  intended 
to  be  so  lofty  as  should  release  the  groom  from  every  care,  and  free  him 
from  all  responsibility. 

It  is  by  no  means  unusual  to  encounter  a  man  who  stands  more  than 


236  FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 

six  feet  in  his  stockings.  Such  persons,  when  seated,  measure  at  least 
three  feet  from  the  crown  of  the  head  to  the  cushion  of  the  chair.  One 
yard,  therefore,  added  to  the  height  of  the  horse  makes  more  than  eight 
feet;  or,  allowing  for  saddle,  hair  of  rider,  etc.,  approaches  unpleasantly 
close  to  the  highest  point  of  that  space  which  was  to  release  a  groom 
from  every  care. 

Some  persons  prefer  to  mount  in  the  stable.  Many  horses  will  only, 
while  there,  allow  a  rider  to  quietly  cross  their  backs.  Most  gentlemen 
have  their  hats  on  before  the  feet  are  placed  in  the  stirrups.  But  sup- 
posing a  tall  man  to  get  upon  a  high  horse,  the  covering  to  his  head 
must  be  extremely  shallow  if  it  is  to  receive  no  damage  when  passing 
through  the  doorway  which,  the  reader  has  Professor  Stewart's  assur- 
ance, is  so  lofty  as  to  dispense  with  every  care ! 

To  ride  out  of  the  stable  is  very  far  from  an  eccentric  habit.  A  model 
door  should,  therefore,  contemplate  the  passage  of  any  ordinary  sized 
horse,  with  any  rider  of  average  proportions  seated  upon  its  back.  The 
tallest  man  probable,  as  well  as  the  smallest  possible,  should  be  equally 
accommodated  by  its  dimensions.  A  model  door  ought  to  provide  for 
every  customary  purpose.  When  considering  such  a  structure,  it  is  not 
sufficient  that  its  size  is  proportioned  to  the  majority  of  purposes,  but  it 
should  be  fit  for  all,  save  only  very  extraordinary  uses. 

The  width  customary  with  such  entrances — "three  feet  six  inches" — 
must  not  be  passed  over  unnotice'd,  if  only  to  convince  the  reader  of  the 
entire  inadequacy  of  such  a  space.  The  author,  however,  could  readily 
point  to  many  stable  doors  of  even  narrower  capacity  than  is  implied  in 
the  foregoing  limitation;  but  having  bound  himself  not  to  adduce  his 
own  experience,  he  gladly  accepts  Professor  Stewart's  testimony  con- 
cerning those  things  which  are  to  be  reviewed  in  this  place. 

When  a  horse  is  led,  not  ridden,  out  of  the  stable,  the  groom  com- 
monly proceeds  according  to  the  following  method :  The  man  grasps  a 
rein,  and,  walking  by  the  side  of  the  animal,  servant  and  slave  pass  the 
threshold  together.  The  three  feet  six  inches  of  clear  space  has  to  per- 
mit the  passage  of  two  bodies  at  the  same  moment ;  therefore,  dividing 
the  allotted  width,  and  giving  half  to  each,  allows  one  foot  nine  inches 
as  the  share  of  either.  A  groom,  however,  when  in  full  livery,  and 
within  his  own  dominion,  is  an  important  personage.  He  permits  no 
familiarity  from  his  inferiors ;  he  expects  only  proper  behavior  from  the 
horse,  while  he  is  beneath  the  shadow  of  his  realm.  That  groom  must 
be  devoid  of  all  self-esteem,  and  unworthy  of  his  post,  who  could  allow 
the  cleanliness  of  his  costume  to  be  soiled  or  the  polish  of  his  boots  to 
be  sullied  I 

A  person  of  ordinary  stature,  and  in  average  health,  will  measure, 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


287 


across  the  shoulders,  from  seventeen  to  twenty  inches.  An  anhnal  of 
moderate  size  can  barely  squeeze  through  a  clear  gap  of  twenty-two 
inches  width.  Then,  taking  the  man  at  the  lowest  standard,  and  adding 
seventeen  to  twenty-two  inches,  we  obtain  thirty-nine  inches,  as  the 
smallest  amount  of  room  which  servant  and  quadruped  could  manage 
to  pass  through.  Such  a  close  measurement,  however,  supposes  the 
two  living  beings  to  touch  one  another,  as  well  as  to  graze  the  sides  of 
the  passage.  Against  such  gross  usage,  the  innate  dignity  of  cockade, 
leathers,  and  riding  coat  would  ahke  protest  I 

Three  feet  six  inches,  however,  allow  exactly  one  inch  to  divide  the 
door  posts  from  the  man  and  -from  the  horse ;  while  an  inch  also  remains 
to  separate  the  dignity  of  the  domestic  from  the  simplicity  which  it  is 
conducting.  The  margin  is  not  very  ample ;  and  both  creatures  must 
march  with  uncommon  steadiness  for  neither  of  the  animals  to  touch  the 
posts,  or  to  rub  against  the  other. 

Five  feet,  certainly,  afford  more  ample  quarters.  Through  such  a 
frame  both  man  and  horse,  supposing  each  to  be  quietly  disposed,  may 
pass  with  ease.  Even  so  vast  a  limit,  however,  will  not  allow  the  groom 
to  dispense  with  every  care.  An  animal  may,  reasonably,  be  delighted 
when  it  sniffs  the  fresh  air ;  and  it  may 
be  permitted  to  perform  a  few  pranks, 
as  it  quits  positive  stagnation  to  make 
the  nearest  approach  to  freedom  which 
its  enslaved  condition  can  sanction. 
School-boys  do  not  observe  any  sever- 
ity of  order,  when  they  cast  aside  their 
tasks  to  throng  into  the  play-ground. 
Yet  the  youths  are  confined  to  study 
only  for  a  comparatively  short  period. 
But  what  must  be  the  feelings  of  the 
steed,  when  leaving  the  heated  stable 
and  the  narrow  stall,  where  it  has  prob- 
ably been  imprisoned  for  twenty -two 
consecutive  hours  ? 

Who  among  us,  if  he  had  the  power, 
would  check  the  graceful  prancings  and 
elegant  carvetings,  by  which  a  simple 
nature  announces  its  sense  of  happi- 
ness ?  To  human  feeling,  an  idea  of 
having  to  carry  another's  weight,  in  the 
direction  and  at  the  pace  the  rider  pleases  to  command ;  to  have  a  sharp 
bit  pulled  against  the  tender  angles  of  the  lips;  to  be  flogged  with  a 


"DOWN  IN  THE   hip;"   OR  A   HORSE  WITH  THB 
BONE   OF   ONE   HIP   FRACTURED. 


238  FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM     STABLES. 

heavy  whip,  or  goaded  with  sharp  spurs, — conjures  up  an  image  calcu- 
lated to  awaken  no  special  delight.  But  long  imprisonment  may  induce 
that  eagerness  to  breathe  the  air  of  heaven,  which  may  possibly  render 
the  prospect  of  labor,  beyond  the  confines  of  its  jail,  welcome  to  the 
captive. 

Quadrupeds  have  been  injured  while  passing  through  the  widest  of 
modern  entrances.  The  pleasure  of  escaping  from  the  tedium  and  from 
the  faintness  of  actual  stagnation  generates  a  joy  which  banishes  the 
sense  of  prudence.  All  feeling  and  every  caution  appear  to  be  engulfed 
in  the  exultation  of  the  moment.  The  horse  dances  as  it  walks ;  the  tail 
is  gayly  whisked;  the  neck  is  arched;  the  mane  is  shaken  and  the  body 
is  twisted,  by  those  numberless  undulations  which  have  often  excited 
the  admiration  of  enthusiastic  spectators.  If,  during  one  of  these  ex- 
pressive movements,  the  trunk  should  be  inflected  more  than  the  seven 
inches  which  the  five  feet  allow,  or  the  animal,  influenced  by  the  impetu- 
osity of  excitement,  should  come  in  contact  with  the  door  post,  the  con- 
sequence may  be  fearful.  The  possibility  of  check,  certainly,  does  not 
enter  the  thought  of  the  joyous  creature.  The  blow  is  proportioned  to 
the  heedlessness  which  induced  it.  A  bone  can  be  fractured  on  such  an 
occasion ;  nor  is  it  an  unusual  accident.  Most  horses  which  are  beheld 
with  one  "hip  down,"  have  had  the  deformity  produced  by  striking 
against  the  post  of  the  stable  door. 

"Down  in  the  hip,"  is  a  groom's  phrase,  and  merely  signifies  that 
one  of  the  prominences  of  the  haunch-bone,  or,  employing  anatomical 
language,  that  one  of  the  inferior  spinous  processes  of  the  ileum,  has 
been  broken  off.  This  osseous  projection  is  of  great  importance  to  the 
value  of  the  quadruped;  it  gives  origin  to  numerous  muscles,  but  more 
particularly  to  the  powerful  extensors  of  the  hind  limb.  That  ease, 
grace,  and  rapidity  with  which  the  member  should  be  moved  are  by  this 
misfortune  destroyed,  and  the  animal  is  thereby  unfitted  for  the  more 
highly  esteemed  half  of  its  future  services.  By  the  accident  it  loses  caste, 
and  moves  downward  in  the  scale  of  equine  employments. 

This  terrible  affliction  to  the  life  principally  concerned  may  also  be 
occasioned  in  another  manner.  Grooms,  when  leading  a  horse  from  the 
stable,  commonly  walk  by  the  side  of  the  animal.  Such  persons  are 
usually  fully  dressed  to  attend  their  masters,  when  called  upon  to  per- 
form this  duty.  Thus  arrayed,  the  vanity  of  these  men  is  extreme. 
Their  importance  almost  exacts  homage  from  the  quadruped  upon  which 
it  is  their  office  to  attend.  Should  the  creature  in  its  joy,  when  passing 
through  the  doorway,  touch  the  coat  of  the  domestic,  such  familiarity 
elicits  the  utmost  indignation.  Pride  frowns  at  the  pollution  of  its  vest- 
ments. A  loud  word,  a  kick  or  a  blow,  instantly  resents  the  insult.    The 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM     STABLES. 


239 


animal,  in  terror,  skips  about  to  avoid  further  punishment.  The  door 
post  is  struck;  the  haunch  is  fractured,  or  the  pain  is  inflicted  which 
renders  the  creature,  with  its  retentive  memory,  ever  after  fearful  when 
passing  through  an  entrance. 


BOLTING   THROUGH   THE   STABLE   DOOR. 


The  ordinary  life  of  a  domesticated  horse  is  so  monotonous  that 
recollection  of  events  cannot  otherwise  than  be  retained.  The  animal 
subsequent  to  such  a  calamity,  even  though  no  bone  should  be  fractured, 
cannot  gaze  upon  a  door  with  calmness.  In  future,  alarm  is  exhibited 
whenever  an  entrance  has  to  be  approached.  It  cannot  enter  or  quit  its 
abiding-place  without  displaying  those  symptoms  of  terror  which  to  the 
groom  are  the  representatives  only  of  inveterate  "vice."  The  most 
violent  or  the  blandest  of  tones  cannot  restore  placidity  to  the  brain 
which  is  troubled  by  fearful  recollections.  It  is  useless  to  coax,  to 
threaten,  or  to  punish :  the  animal  has  no  ability  to  assume  its  former 
quietude  when  passing  through  the  terrible  opening.  But  it  strives  to 
brace  up  its  nerves  for  the  perfprmance  of  the  necessary  act.  All  its 
resolution  is  summoned,  till,  maddened  by  excitement,  it  wildly  dashes 
through  the  entrance,  dragging  after  it  the  boy  to  whose  custody  the 
more  dangerous  quadrupeds  are  usually  intrusted  by  the  prudent  sagacity 
of  stable-men. 


240  FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 

Terror,  once  generated  in  the  equine  brain,  is  never  removed,  until 
years  of  misery  have  ruined  the  health  and  destroyed  the  spirit  of  the 
horse;  rendering  it  a  mere  suffering  machine,  careless  of  the  present 
and  hopeless  for  the  future.  The  weight  of  affliction  which  nearly  all 
of  the  unhappy  race  have  to  sustain,  as  age  increases,  changes  the  tem- 
per and  the  bearing  of  the  creature.  Its  prostrated  existence  seems 
almost  to  have  become  indifferent  to  human  malice.  Mankind  would, 
certainly,  not  be  the  less  happy  could  they  be  induced  to  trust  in  the 
goodness  which  their  Heavenly  Father  has  placed  around  them  ;  would 
they  discard  those  doubts  and  abandon  that  defiance  which  implies  a 
belief  only  in  the  existence  of  evil. 

With  regard  to  the  subject  on  which  recent  comments  have  been 
based,  horsemen  should  order  their  servants  never  to  walk  through  a 
doorway  by  the  side  of  the  quadruped,  which  general  belief  supposes  to 
be  led  through  such  openings. 

A  boy  should  not  be  employed  in  such  an  office.  Prior  to  leaving 
the  building,  the  groom  should  place  himself  directly  in  front  of  his 
charge.  A  short  hold  of  either  rem  should  then  be  taken  in  each  hand. 
"When  there  located,  he  can  with  ease  and  certainty  guide  the  head  of 
the  horse.  The  motions  of  the  head  regulate  the  movements  of  the 
body,  and  having  the  controlling  power  entirely  at  his  command,  the 
servant  should  commence  to  back  slowly  out  of  the  stable.  However, 
there  is  one  objection  to  the  proposed  method,  which  is  the  rightful 
mode  of  proceeding.  In  the  majority  of  London  stables  there  is  but 
one  man,  who  acts  as  groom,  as  coachman,  and  occasionally  as  pad 
groom,  or  the  servant  who  rides  after  his  employer.  This  personage 
being  in  front  of  the  creature's  nose,  should  the  horse  sneeze,  cough, 
or  clear  its  nostrils,  any  ejected  matter  must  alight  upon  the  highly- 
decorated  garments  of  the  man.  The  self-love  of  the  individual  fears 
such  a  mishap  to  the  luster  of  his  afternoon's  costume ;  when  the  inter- 
ests of  the  proprietor  are  opposed  to  the  vanity  of  ignorance,  no  spirit 
of  prophecy  is  needed  to  pronounce  on  which  side  victory  will  be  de- 
clared !  These  accidents  may  be  greatly  mitigated  by  the  hat  being 
laid  aside,  as  from  all  else  the  soil  may  be  removed,  and  leave  no  stain 
behind. 

Supposing  this  obvious  recommendation  to  be  adopted,  should  any 
symptom  of  alarm  or  any  disposition  to  display  restiveness  chance  to  be 
exhibited,  progress  must  be  immediately  stopped;  nor  ought  it  to  be 
again  resumed,  until  the  animal  has  thoroughly  recovered  its  composure. 
No  matter  how  long  a  period  may  be  required  to  restore  tranquiUity,  the 
groom  should,  contentedly,  continue  stationary  till  every  sign  of  timidity 
is  banished  or  dispelled.     In  such  a  manner,  servant  and  quadruped 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


241 


should  leave  the  builduig :  nor  ought  the  man  to  quit  his  post  before  the 
doorway  has  been  more  than  cleared. 


UASINa  A  HORSE  THROUGH  THE  STABLE  DOORVAT. 


It  must  certainly  be  read  with  a  sensation  of  surprise  that,  since  a 
stable  was  first  erected,  horses  have  been  constantly  injured  by  passing 
through  narrow  doorways.  It  will  assuredly  excite  wonder  that,  after 
centuries  of  experience,  enforced  by  serious  loss,  the  easy,  safe,  and 
natural  remedy  for  such  miscalled  "accidents"  needs  to  be  gravely 
pointed  out,  or  to  be  promulgated  as  it  were  a  novel  suggestion.  The 
mind  of  the  master  has,  however,  been  otherwise  engaged ;  the  horse 
has  never  been  regarded  as  a  living  creature,  having  certain  attributes 
and  rights,  with  which  all  keepers  of  the  quadrupeds  must  comply.  It 
is  rather  viewed  as  "something"  absolutely  given  to  mankind,  concern- 
ing which  the  human  being  has,  therefore,  merely  to  consult  his  will  and 
his  pleasure.  Consequently,  when  regulations  ar*  formed  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  equine  race,  these  are  never  framed  as  though  there 

16 


242     FAULTS  INSEPARABLE  FROM  STABLES. 

were  the  habits,  the  instincts,  and  the  wants  of  an  existence  to  be  con- 
sidered. 

The  assumed  evil  disposition  of  the  most  placid  of  beings  has  been 
wrongfully  abused  as  the  cause  of  every  injury.  The  possibility  of  so 
groundless  a  reason  being  advanced  to  cover  that  carelessness  which 
provoked  punishment,  is  by  no  means  complimentary  to  the  wisdom  of 
mankind.  The  care  needful  for  the  safe  guidance  of  a  timid  animal  is 
denied;  the  trifling  outlay  which  would  secure  the  immunity  of  the 
creature  is  selfishly  withheld.  Nevertheless,  how  frequent  and  how 
poignant  is  the  lamentation,  which  complains  that  horse  flesh  is  a  "  very 
hazardous  species  of  property  I"  Yet,  when  investigated,  what  does  the 
cry  import,  more  than  that  a  beautiful  living  body  is  not  sent  upon  earth 
superior  to  man's  power  of  abuse  ? 

Nature  endowed  the  horse  with  every  faculty  needed  to  enjoy  the 
freest  existence  on  the  most  extended  plane.  It  was  created  the  grace- 
ful embodiment  of  the  wildest  liberty  I  The  classic  mind  rightfully  re- 
cognized its  attributes ;  for  by  it,  as  Pegasus,  the  boldest  flight  of  a  poet's 
fancy  was  significantly  allegorized.  The  ancient  intellect,  in  its  fresh- 
ness, beheld  in  the  steed  the  fitting  representative  of  that  which  prisons 
should  not  confine,  neither  should  chains  fetter.  Yet,  formerly,  the  full 
truthfulness  of  the  image  was  but  partially  demonstrated.  Years  of 
after-experience  have  shown  the  animal  can  thrive  in  opposite  regions ; 
it  can  live  on  almost  every  variety  of  sustenance ;  it  propagates  its  race 
under  the  extremes  of  too  much  care  and  of  absolute  neglect ;  the  creat- 
ure which  man  sorrows  over  as  so  very  delicate  has  the  strength  of  a 
giant,  the  docility  of  a  dog,  and  a  constitution  which  is  well  characterized 
by  a  proverbial  expression,  "strong  as  a  horse !" 

The  boasted  civilization  of  the  present  age  has  degraded  the  animal 
into  a  living  type  of  stagnant  misery !  It  was  gifted  by  its  Creator  with 
a  speed  which  defied  pursuit ;  with  a  sight  which  could  endure  the  sun's 
fiercest  ray,  or  could  penetrate  the  darkness  of  the  night;  and  it  was 
gifted  with  the  recognition  which  is  telescopic  in  its  range  of  inquiry. 
It  was  sent  upon  this  earth  with  an  ample  nostril,  and  a  sense  of  smell 
capable  of  appreciating  the  varied  odors  of  an  Eastern  plain.  How  has 
human  perversity  distorted  the  intentions  of  Beneficence !  Now  it  is 
locked  into  an  outhouse,  where  either  total  darkness  prevails,  or  the  eye 
is  fastened  close  to  a  whitened  surface.  It  is  tied  to  a  manger,  while  the 
floor  on  which  it  stands  so  slants  as  must  banish  ease  from  the  feet,  and 
the  partitions  which  confine  the  body  prevent  rest  from  change  of  posi- 
tion. If  the  place  is  cold,  the  creature's  home  is  possessed  of  no  means 
to  counteract  the  effect.  If  it  should  be  warm^  it  is  contaminated  by 
the  fermentation  of  filth;  the  air  is  loaded  with^as,  which  must  pain 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES.  243 

the  nerves,  occasion  the  eyes  to  smart,  disgust  the  fine  sense  of  smell, 
and  destroy  the  health  by  preventing  perfect  oxygenation  of  the  blood 

Misery,  solitude,  and  confinement  will  generate  disease  m  a  man. 
Wherefore  should  an  animal  be  esteemed  superior  to  such  influences? 
Impure  air,  sameness  of  food,  and  being  tied  to  a  manger,  inducing  fee- 
ble bodily  health,  gradually  undermine  the  powerful  equine  constitution. 
Other  evils,  of  a  local  nature,  result  from  causes  which  might  easily  be 
removed,  were  man,  in  his  wisdom,  only  convinced  such  influences  ought 
to  be  destroyed.  The  forelegs  of  the  stabled  horse  are  always  the  first 
to  yield.  Yet  the  prisoner  may  endure  severe  lameness  in  these  mem- 
bers, and,  nevertheless,  the  body  be  so  slightly  sympathetic  with  the 
affliction  as  actually  to  lay  on  fat.  It  is  different  with  the  hinder  limbs  ! 
Should  one  of  these  last  be  injured,  the  entire  frame  languishes.  The 
quadruped  then  evidently  pines  in  torture,  and  its  flesh  sensibly  wastes. 

Yery  different  is  the  manner  in  which  various  physiologists  account 
for  this  peculiarity.  Some  appeal  to  the  greater  proximity  of  the  an- 
terior extremities  to  the  heart,  or  to  the  center  of  circulation.  That, 
perhaps,  is  the  generally  received  doctrine ;  but  as  the  free  circulation  of 
the  blood  is  essential  to  the  healthy  functions  of  the  nerves,  it  is  difficult 
to  comprehend  why  nearness  to  the  heart  should  deprive  a  nerve  of  its 
ability  to  communicate  sensation.  The  head  is  supposed  to  be  rendered 
conspicuously  sensitive,  because  of  the  great  proportionate  quantity  of 
blood  which  circulates  in  that  region.  The  pretended  rule,  therefore, 
will  not  bear  the  test  of  general  application ;  it  must  be  discarded  as  an 
assertion  boldly  put  forward  to  cover  ignorance. 

The  forefeet  of  the  horse  are  those  portions  of  the  frame  which  have 
to  endure  the  utmost  limits  of  mortal  perversity.  The  flooring  of  the 
stall  invariably  inclines  from  the  manger  to  the  gangway.  The  hind 
hoofs  may,  should  the  animal  hang  back  the  full  length  of  its  collar-rope, 
rest  in  the  open  drain  with  the  toes  downward ;  or  the  hind  hoofs  may, 
in  some  cases,  stand  upon  the  gangway,  the  width  of  which  the  gutter 
defines.  The  front  limbs,  however,  can  scarcely  change  their  position. 
The  hoofs  must  rest  upon  the  slanting  bricks,  which  incline  the  anterior 
of  the  foot  in  the  upward  direction.  The  forelegs  must  sustain,  and 
continue  subject  to  the  unnatural  stress  of  their  enforced  position. 
This  silly  and  arbitrary  arrangement  in  some  measure  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  the  front  limbs  of  the  horse  are  the  first  parts  of  the  body  to 
fail,  for  these  parts  never,  in  the  stable,  are  capable  of  rest,  nor  can  they 
be  sensible  to  ease. 

It  has,  of  late  years,  become  the  general  practice  to  bleed  the  horse 
from  the  sole  of  the  forefoot.  When  such  a  custom  is  adopted,  the 
first  portion  of  blood  extracted  is,  commonly,  cold  as  spring-water,  or 


244 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


from  thirty  to  forty  degrees  below  the  standard  recognized  as  "blood 
heat."  Now,  a  certain  warmth  is  imperative  to  the  existence  of  vitality, 
which  is  arrested  so  soon  as  the  natural  heat  of  the  body  is  sensibly 
diminished.  The  functions  are  stayed  when  any  region  has  parted  with 
its  calorie.  Dentists  take  advantage  of  this  fact  when,  after  having 
employed  the  chilling  process,  they  extract  a  tooth  without  pain.  Cold, 
therefore,  which  can  destroy  sensation  in  the  human  jaw,  likewise  ren- 
ders the  foot  of  the  horse  insensible  to  agony. 

But  why  is  the  foreleg  subject  to  a  degree  of  cold  which  does  not  also 
affect  the  hind  extremity  of  the  animal  ?  Because  the  stable  permits  the 
hind  limbs  to  enjoy  the  greater  freedom  of  action.  These  maybe  in 
perpetual  motion ;  for  the  posterior  members  are  situated  at  the  boundary 
of  a  circle,  of  which  the  ring  of  the  manger  represents  the  center  or 
fixed  point.  Has  the  reader  ever  beheld  a  column  of  soldiers  move  in 
obedience  to  the  officer's  command,  to  "  Wheel  ?"  The  man  at  one  end 
of  the  line  can  hardly  run  quickly  enough,  while  he  who  is  placed  at  the 
opposite  extremity  is  troubled  to  be  sufficiently  slow  in  his  movements. 
Now,  the  hind  legs  of  the  horse  represent  the  man  who  has  to  scamper, 
and  are  sensibly  exerted  whenever  the  quadruped  "comes  over;"  the 
anterior  extremities  are  types  of  the  soldier  who  scarcely  moves,  for 
Tery  seldom  are  these  members  necessitated  to  change  their  position. 
Their  stable  office  is  to  uphold  the  body,  and 
to  remain  fixed  while  the  toes  are  inclined  up- 
ward 1  Were  the  motion  permitted  to  both 
extremities  equalized,  the  fore  limbs  would 
naturally  be  the  warmest,  since  the  great  dis- 
tance from  the  heart  and  the  greater  angularity 
of  form  must  render  circulation  of  caloric 
within  the  quarters  much  more  tardy. 

But  why  do  not  other  parts  become  as  cold 
as  the  fore  limbs,  when  all  belong  to  the  same 
body,  and  all  derive  their  heat  from  one  com- 
mon medium,  or  from  the  same  circulation? 
The  veins  in  the  legs  have  valves.  Then,  if 
these  Tcssels  are  so  provided,  and  the  distribu- 
tion of  warmth  is  one  of  the  purposes  of  the 
circulation,  why  do  not  the  valves  favor  the 
return  of  blood  from  the  foot,  and  thus  generate 
heat  within  the  member  ?  When  answering 
the  foregoing  inquiries,  the  reader's  patience  is  entreated,  since  the  reply, 
to  be  intelligible,  cannot  also  he  concise. 

Anatomy  affords  the  best  explanation  of  the.  peculiarity.     On  remov* 


VAliVES  OF  THE  VEINS  IN  THE  LEO. 

1.  The  Talves  of  the  vein  laid 
against  the  side  of  the  vessel  by 
the  up^rard  current  of  the  blood. 

2.  The  valves  projected  from 
the  Bides  of  the  vessel  by  the  at- 
tempted retrogresBion  of  the  vital 
stream. 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES.  245 

ing  the  horny  case  from  the  hoof  of  a  dead  horse,  a  secretive  membrane 
is  exposed ;  this  membrane  constantly  renews  the  horn.  Beneath  the 
secreting  surface,  a  complex  mesh-work  of  large  veins  is  discovered, 
which,  by  their  size,  inform  us  they  serve  as  receptacles  or  sinuses  quite^ 
as  much  as  vessels.  These  veins  have  no  valves,  though  such  are  com- 
monly present  in  other  tubes  of  the  same  class.  The  absence  of  this 
provision  is,  in  them,  remarkable,  because  the  blood  has  to  move  against 
gravity ;  valves  are  a  means  instituted  to  favor  the  current  under  cir- 
cumstances of  this  nature.  Valves  are  composed  of  duplicatures  of  the 
lining  membrane  of  veins:  when  the  venous  current  flows  toward  the 
heart,  these  valves,  by  the  impetus  of  the  stream,  are  forced  upward, 
and  remain  close  against  the  sides  of  the  vessels;  but,  should  the 
slightest  retrogression  of  the  current  be  endangered,  the  backward  mo- 
tion of  the  blood  carries  the  numerous  valves  outward  or  downward,  and 
effectually  locks  the  interior  of  the  veins. 

The  anatomy  of  the  foot,  however,  proves  the  horse  unsuited  to  con- 
finement. The  animal  was  created  to  dwell  upon  the  plain.  The  foot, 
for  its  health,  requires  perpetual  motion.  When  free,  or  before  man 
subjected  it  to  his  convenience,  every  bite  the  creature  took  necessitated 
a  fresh  step.  The  mesh-work  of  veins  was  large,  the  vessels  freely  com- 
muiiicated  with  each  other,  and  were  devoid  of  valves,  that  the  blood 
might  readily  flow  into,  while  it  might  as  readily  be  expelled  from,  the 
tubes ;  and  because,  in  the  habits  of  her  creature,  nature  had  established 
a  force  which  rendered  the  development  of  valves  unnecessary.  The 
horse,  as  it  progressed,  alternately  lifted  the  foot  froltn  the  earth  and 
rested  it  upon  the  ground.  When  the  hoof  was  raised,  the  blood  rushed 
into  and  filled  the  mesh-work  of  veins.  When  the  foot  was  again  placed 
upon  the  soil,  the  superimposed  weight  squeezed  the  vessels,  between  the 
bones  and  the  horn,  thus  pumping  out  the  blood,  or  forcing  it  toward  the 
heart. 

Blood  which  has  become  cold  has  lost  the  first  of  its  living  properties. 
Blood  deprived  of  heat  cannot  support  health,  or  supply  secretion. 
Hence  the  feet  of  stabled  horses — notwithstanding  the  care  of  science> 
the  numerous  applications,  and  the  endless  variety  of  shoes,  all  of  which 
-are  designed  to  benefit  the  hoofs — generally  become  diseased.  The 
quadruped  of  the  agriculturist,  although  it  be  neglected  and  badly  shod, 
yet,  because  of  its  slow  or  constant  work,  and  habitual  freedom  in  the 
field,  usually  exhibits  feet  which  are  sound  and  open.  The  donkey, 
though  much  abused  and  shamefully  treated,  rarely  inhabits  a  stable, 
and  more  seldom  enters  a  stall.  Its  feet  become  misshapen;  but  the 
curse  of  the  gentleman's  steed,  foot  lameness,  and  especially  naviculai^ 
disease,  are  all  but  unknown  among  this  tribe  of  the  equine  race. 


MG  FiLirLTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 

The  forejjoing  statement  also  affords  an  explanation  why  the  most 

valuable  or  the  stabled  horse  is  so  frequently  afflicted  with  contracted 

hoof,  with  brittle  hoof,  with  an  unhealthy  secretion  of  horn,  and  with  the 

various  other  ailments  which  may  be  classed  under  the  diseases  of  the 

foot.     It  likewise  supplies  the  most  clear  reason  for  the  beginning  of 

that  disorder  which  has  been  denominated  "the  curse  of  good  horse 

flesh" — Navicularthritis,  or  ulceration  of  the  navicular  bone.     Bone  is 

slow  to  take  on  morbid  action,  and  ulceration  is  the  accompaniment  of 

low  vitality.     When  the  circulation  is  retarded,  the  animal  powers  are 

enfeebled.     Ulceration,  affecting   a  lowly  organized  structure,  is  that 

which  a  pathologist  would  anticipate  as  the  consequence  of  prolonged 

inaction.     It  is  impossible  to  say  what  evils 

the  continuance  of  such  a  condition  may  not 

induce  ;  but  sand-crack,  seedy-toe,  and  various 

painful  affections  can  be  clearly  traced  to  have 

thus  originated. 

The  effect  of  the  stable,  also,  aceoimts  for 

the  farmer  riding  his  nag  for  many  years,  while 

THE  VEINS  OF  THE  HORSE'S  FOOT,      fcw  gentlemeu  approvc  of  a  horse  for  saddle 

The  mesh-work  of  veins  with-    purposcs  after  it  has  passed  the  sixth  sum- 
out  valves,  which  are  situated  im-      ir      sr  i 

mediately  under  the  secretive  mem-    j^er,  notwithstanding  their  animals  are  bfetter 

brane  of  the  hoof.  '  " 

groomed  and  more  carefully  fed.  In  the  coun- 
try, farmers'  quadrupeds  are-  generally  turned  into  the  field,  and  have  to 
walk  for  their  living.  Grass  is  a  poor  food ;  but  the  constant  exercise 
keeps  the  creatures  in  sounder  health  than  can  be  maintained  by  better 
sustenance  combined  with  perpetual  confinement. 

An  absolute  necessity  for  the  constant  movement  of  the  feet  is  to  be 
deduced  from  the  arrangement  of  the  vessels.  The  arterial  blood  falls 
almost  perpendicularly  down  the  fore  limb,  while  the  venous  blood  has 
likewise  to  ascend  against  gravity.  This  arrangement  rendered  impera- 
tive some  propelling  force  to  return  the  effete  fluid ;  hence  the  necessity 
for  the  perpetual  employment  of  the  squeezing  or  pumping  action  of  the 
hoof  The  habits-  of  the  animal  to  graze  only  from  choice  portions  of 
the  herbage  occasion  a  vast  distance  to  be  traversed;  but  such  leisurely 
sauntering  was,  by  nature,  kindly  intended  to  keep  sound  that  portion  of 
the  frame  on  the  integrity  of  which  the  safety,  the  welfare,  and  the 
pleasure  of  her  creation  was  dependent. 

"Certainly,"  the  reader  may  exclaim;    "but  if  the  warmth  of  the 

body  is  dependent  upon  arterial  blood,  the  coldness  of  a  part  cannot  be 

accounted  for  by  stating  the  facility  afforded  for  the  oxygenating  current 

•reaching  that  which  is  chilled. "     Yery  true.     But  before  any  substance 

can  fall  down,  the  space  through  which  it  has  to  pass  in  its  descent  must 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


24f 


be  made  clear.  The  quickness  with  which  the  arterial  blood  reaches  the 
foot  is,  consequently,  regulated  by  the  speed  with  which  the  venous  cut- 
rent  is  expelled.  The  hoof  of  the  stabled  horse  is  constantly  congested, 
or  the  effete  blood  accumulates  within  the  horn ;  because  motion,  in  the 
venous  stream,  is  impossible.  The  current  hardly  stirs,  and  the  fluid, 
by  stagnation,  becomes  cold.  Did  the  possibility  of  action  allow  the 
pumping  force  fair  play,  then  the  forefoot  would,  doubtless,  be  as  warm 
as  other  parts  Qf  the  animal's  system. 

Anatomy  demonstrates  these  facts ;  but  the  habits  of  the  quadruped 
have  never  been  attentively  noted.  Had  the  instinctive  promptings  of 
its  desires  been  studied  with  a  wish  to  profit  by  such  instruction,  stables 
had  been  erected  for  some  better  purpose  than  to  closely  confine  an 
active  animal,  and  to  illustrate  the  earliest  principles  of  surface  drainage. 
As  it  is,  a  building  has  been  raised  totally  inadequate  to  its  pretended 
uses,  and  one  in  the  arrangement  of  which  the  convenience  of  man  has 
alone  been  consulted.     In  such  a  place,  a  horse  has,  for  ages,  been  im- 


E0E8BS,  WHEN  FREE  TO  CHOOSE,  ALWAYS  STAND  WITH  THE  F0REH00F8  ON  A  LOWER  LEVEL  THAN  THAT 
OCCUPIED  BY  THE  HIND  FEET. 

prisoned.     It  is  true,  the  captive  did  not  thrive.     Yet  this  consequence 
was  rather  excused  than  inquired  into.     Humanity  has  endured  loss, 


U8 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


disappointment,  and  vexation;  but  pride  found  it  more  ^.greeable  tc 
accuse  the  works  of  Heaven  with  the  results  of  its  own  culpability  than 
to  suspect  the  adequacy  of  its  own  institutions.  Nature  has,  in  vain, 
labored  to  instruct  the  waywardness  of  conceit.  Mankind  could  endure 
all  evils  before  it  could  afford  to  question  the  perfectibility  of  mortal 
invention. 

Horses,  when  disposed  to  remain  stationary,  always  select  ground 
where  the  forefeet  can  occupy  a  position  lower  than  the  hind  legs.  In 
stables,  this  inclination  is  reversed,  the  hinder  limbs  invariably  resting  on 
an  inferior  level  to  what  the  forefeet  range  upon.  The  motive  upon 
which  the  dictates  of  nature  are  outraged  is  the  facility  which  a  floor 
slanting  in  the  backward  direction  affords  for  surface  moisture  to  flow 
into  the  open  gutter  that  runs  along  the  extreme  margin  of  the  gangway. 
Science,  evidently,  has  not  been  consulted  in  an  arrangement  which  sac- 
rifices the  health  and  the  comfort  of  an  inhabitant  of  the  stall  to  obtain  so 
obvious,  gross,  and  poor  an  advantage.  Stables,  evidently,  were  built 
only  to  please  the  fancy,  and  propitiate  the  prejudices  of  ignorant  pro- 
prietors. No  thought  was  bestowed  upon  the  quadrupeds  such  edifices 
pretended  to  accommodate.  The  consequence  is  seen  in  the  discomfort, 
torture,  and  the  speedy  decline  of  lives  which  are  forced  to  dwell  within 
one  of  these  notorious  charnel-houses. 


.;i;i:!l!!iii!ilii!' 


WHEN  CONFINED  TO  THE   STALL,  HORSES   GENERALLY   STAND  WITH  THE   HIND  FEET  UPON  A   LOWER  LEVEL 
THAN  THE  F0BEH00F8  OCCUPY. 


Knowing  the  object  desired,  the  reader  will  naturally  expect  to  be  in- 
formed whether  dryness  is  secured  by  the  present  arrangement.  When 
answering  this  inquiry,  the  author  must  describe  the  general  plan  accord- 


FAULTS  INSEPARABLE  FROM  STABLES.     249 

ing  to  which  the  floors  of  most  stables  are  laid  down.  The  pavement 
of  the  stalls  is  composed  of  small,  hard  bricks,  known  as  "  Dutch  Clink- 
ers. "  Bricks,  however  nicely  they  may  be  placed,  cannot  form  an  abso- 
lutely smooth  or  even  surface.  They  must  present  spaces  in  which  fluid 
will  be  retained ;  and,  being  porous,  bricks  cannot  prevent  effluvia  from 
rising  through  their  substances,  or  cannot  hinder  liquid  from  percolating 
into  the  soil  on  which  they  rest.  The  urine  acquires  acrimony  as  it 
corrupts  beneath  the  pavement,  which  makes  a  renewal  of  the  flooring 
of  a  stall  an  efficient  reason  for  ordering  the  inhabitants  of  a  large  build- 
ing to  be  removed,  since  the  pavement  will  have  to  be  disturbed. 

To  demonstrate  that  the  urine  of  the  horse  undergoes  a  speedy  change 
when  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  atmosphere :  the  fresh  fluid  will  pro- 
duce no  change  in  litmus  paper ;  but  after  a  few  minutes'  exposure,  the 
liquid  changes  the  blue  dye  to  a  red  color,  having,  in  the  brief  interval, 
become  acid,  and  in  that  condition  it  yields  strong  fumes  of  ammoniacal 
gas.  It  is  the  presence  of  this  gas  that  chiefly  occasions  that  peculiar 
pungency  which  is  characteristic  of  the  stable. 

To  promote  such  an  alteration,  and  to  procure  from  the  excretion  the 
greatest  possible  amount  of  noxious  effluvia,  the  liquid  is  made  to  gently 
flow  over  an  open,  a  rough,  an  uneven,  and  a  slanting  surface ;  thus  sub- 
jecting the  greatest  possible  quantity  to  the  direct  action  of  the  atmos- 
phere. Should  not  the  whole  change  be  thereby  accomplished,  the  fluid 
slowly  drains  into  an  open  gutter,  which  slopes  so  gradually  that  its 
contents  frequently  refuse  to  move.  Had  the  architect  who  originally 
laid  down  the  plan  of  a  modern  stable  designed  to  make  the  interior 
poisonous,  it  would  have  been  difficult,  having  no  more  active  agent  at 
command,  for  him  to  have  conceived  means  better  calculated  to  fulfill 
his  object. 

The  groom,  to  warm  the  place,  stops  up  every  crevice  through  which 
the  vapor  could  escape,  or  pure  air  could  find  admission.  Many  stable- 
men, also,  exclude  the  light,  under  a  groundless  notion  that  horses  thrive 
best  when  in  the  dark.  Darkness  does  not  necessarily  lead  to  sleep — 
it  simply  disables  one  of  the  senses ;  thereby  animal  hfe  is  deprived  of  a 
harmless  enjoyment,  while  at  the  same  time  the  exclusion  of  light  causes 
the  eye  to  shrink  from  the  glare  of  day ;  while  the  continuance  of  the 
evil  is  likely  to  induce  blindness.  Hours  of  weariness,  passed  in  a  con- 
fined space,  and  within  a  tainted  atmosphere,  are  strange  means  when 
employed  to  promote  extraordinary  thrift.  More  especially,  when  we 
consider  that  the  inclination  of  the  floor  forbids  rest  to  the  feet,  while 
the  exclusion  of  light  incapacitates  all  visual  recreation. 

Horses,  not  having  a  knowledge  of  chemistry,  cannot,  of  themselves, 
purify  the  air ;  but  certain  animals,  instructed  by  their  instincts,  do  all 


2S0 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


in  their  power  to  counteract  the  evils  which  the  slanting  nature  of  the 
flooring  has  a  tendency  to  produce.  Such  steeds  lean  first  upon  one  foot 
and  then  upon  the  other ;  thus  the  entire  weight  bears  alternately  upon 
either  hoof,  while  each  is  in  turn  released  from  all  pressure.  If  not 
checked,  quadrupeds  will  often  continue  thus  employed  for  hours.  The 
creatures  know  nothing  concerning  the  structures  of  their  own  bodies; 
but  the  most  learned  physiologist  could  not  have  invented  any  plan  bet- 
ter calculated  to  supply  the  pumping  action  which  accompanies  the 
walk,  and  promotes  a  healthy  circulation,  thus  securing  soundness  to 
the  hoof 

Indeed,  human  intelligence  would  appear  to  be  incapable  of  appre- 
ciating the  benefit  which  must  result  from  the  simple  artifice  of  an  inferior 
being.  The  animal  which  is  detected  when  endeavoring  to  correct  the 
evils  of  mortal  perversity,  is  always  severely  punished.  The  indulgence 
is,  by  the  pure  mind  of  the  groom,  recognized  as  a  wicked  "vice,"  and 
is  stigmatized  under  the  term  of  "weaving."     The  highly  intelligent 


/ 


horse  is  fiercely  lashed  for  laboring  to  prevent  the  consequences  of  man's 
stupidity,  and  for  striving  to  improve  its  master's  property,  while  solac- 
ing its  confinement,  by  an  act  as  harmless  as  it  is  innocent. 

A  creature  standing  on  a  slanting  floor,  with  the  head  pointing  to  the 
most  elevated  part  of  the  incline,  occupies  the  same  relative  situation 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES.  251 

which  the  body  would  possess,  were  the  quadruped  journeying  up  the 
side  of  a  hill.  By  the  sloping  nature  of  the  ground,  the  weight  of  the 
frame  is  partially  removed  from  the  insensitive  bones ;  and  to  such  an 
extent  as  the  osseous  structures  are  relieved,  is  the  burden  thrown  upon 
the  flexor  tendons,  or  upon  the  back  sinews.  It  is  imperative  for  the 
health  of  bone  that  it  should  endure  almost  continuous  pressure.  On 
the  other  hand,  tendon  or  sinew  feels  no  pain  from  occasional  tension ; 
but  pressure,  if  long  sustained,  produces  the  acutest  agony.  When  one 
structure  is  denied  to  fulfill  the  uses  for  which  it  was  created,  and  another 
structure  is  condemned  to  discharge  services  for  which  it  never  was 
designed,  the  first  soon  degenerates,  from  not  having  sufficient  employ- 
ment, while  the  second  speedily  becomes  disorganized,  from  the  necessity 
to  perform  too  much  labor. 

Bone,  tendon,  and  cellular  tissue  almost  compose  the  shin  and  the  foot 
of  the  animal.  Horsemen  know  how  difficult  it  is  to  make  and  keep  the 
legs  of  a  stabled  quadruped  hard  and  fine.  It  is,  however,  folly  to  nib 
and  to  bandage  while  inactivity  is  permitted  to  generate  congestion. 
No  application  can  possibly  destroy  the  effect  while  that  cause  is  allowed 
to  be  in  operation.  Nor  can  the  foot  secrete  sound  horn  while  the  exer- 
cise which  is  imperative  for  health  is  withheld.  No  shoe  can  give  that 
which  is  dependent  upon  motion.  There  are  many  more  pieces  of  iron 
curved,  hollowed,  raised,  and  indented,  than  the  author  has  cared  to 
enumerate.  All>  however,  have  failed  to  restore  health  to  the  hoof. 
Some,  by  enforcing  a  change  of  position,  may,  for  a  time,  appear  to 
mitigate  the  evil ;  but  none  can,  in  the  long  run,  cure  the  disorder  under 
which  the  horn  evidently  suffers. 

Anointing  the  hoof,  or  using  various  stoppings,  are  equally  fruitless. 
Both  leg  and  foot,  after  a  day  of  hard  labor,  only  return  to  the  stable  to 
undergo  more  excessive,  because  more  continuous,  fatigue.  The  sloping 
pavement  renders  ease  an  impossibility.  The  exhaustion  cannot  be  ban- 
ished from  limbs  forced  to  occupy  such  ground.  Longer  rest  but  induces 
additional  enervation. 

The  inquiry  suggested  by  the  above  remarks  is,  whether  a  horse  does 
not  return  with  eagerness  to  its  stable  ?  Is  it  natural  for  a  creature  to 
exhibit  eagernefes  when  it  enters  the  abode  of  its  agony  ?  In  answer  to 
the  foregoing,  it  may  be  advanced  that  all  grades  of  inferior  life  which 
exist  under  the  care  of  man  are  in  so  unnatural  a  condition  as  allows  no 
inference  to  be  drawn  from  apparently  voluntary  actions.  Birds  were 
intended  to  cleave  the  air.  No  one  can  believe  but  the  goldfinch  must 
be  more  happy  when  bathing  its  wings  in  light,  and  freely  sailing  on  the 
atmosphere,  than  when  the  gay  spirit  is  cramped  within  one  of  those 
small  cages  in  which  certain  people  delight  to  confine  the  joyous  heart. 


25-2     FAULTS  INSEPARABLE  FROM  STABLES. 

Yet,  let  the  bird  be  captured  and  immured  within  such  a  space.  After 
some  time,  it  will  require  perseverance  to  drive  the  feathered  captive 
from  the  prison  which  must  make  stiff  the  wings  and  cause  the  breast 
to  sorrow.  The  act,  however,  will  be  diflQcult;  when  accomplished, 
unless  the  wire  door  be  closed,  the  shelter  of  its  inadequate  abode  will 
be  speedily  sought  again.  Do  birds,  therefore,  love  to  be  caught,  and 
to  be  caged  ? 

Should  the  above  instance  not  be  perfectly  satisfactory,  another  is 
ready  to  illustrate  the  subject.  Everybody  has  heard  of  the  French 
noble,  who  had  grown  old,  gray,  and  feeble  while  in  durance.  The 
gentleman,  when  released  from  the  Bastile,  shed  tears,  entreating  to  be 
restored  to  his  cell.  Are  we,  therefore,  to  infer  that  the  French  love 
imprisonment?  Each  case  may,  perhaps,  be  interpreted  to  exemplify 
the  power  of  habit.  One  year  of  sheer  animal  life  will  stand  against  a 
long  term  of  human  existence.  A  horse  lives  in  the  facts  which  sur- 
round it.  It  exists  in  the  present,  and  has  no  imagination  to  embitter 
the  hardness  of  its  fate.  Man  is  always  escaping  from  the  circumstances 
■which  engirt  him;  ho  is  always  fancying  something  brighter  than  h\si 
present  lot,  or  is  straining  toward  the  future ;  he  may  be  said  to  exist 
most  in  anticipation.  Give  humanity  no  prospect  to  dwell"  upon,  deny 
it  all  hope  to  contemplate,  the  soul  sinks  into  utter  dejection ;  and  a 
palace  or  a  jail  are  alike  regarded  with  indifference. 

The  horse  was,  by  nature,  formed  to  be  the  companion  and  the  servant 
of  man.  The  original  of  the  breed,  which  in  auimals  intended  for  the 
wild  state  it  is  difficult  to  destroy,  is,  witli  the  equine  race,  unknown. 
It  is,  in  heart,  in  body,  and  in  soul,  tts  obedient  servant  and  willing 
helpmate  of  the  human  race.  It  does  not  submit  to  its  doom ;  its  lot  is 
accepted  as  a  foregone  decision ;  it  has  abandoned  every  thought  of  lib- 
erty, and  has  embraced  its  fate.  But  is  it  worthy  of  the  intelligence  to 
which  the  creature  has  devoted  its  existence,  to  convert  such  perfect  and 
entire  abnegation  of  self  into  a  reason  for  perpetuating  those  tortures 
that  were  invented  by  barbarity,  and  are,  it  is  hoped,  only  continued 
through  ignorance  ?  The  reader  needs  no  prompting  to  afford  the  fitting 
answer. 

This  question  is  not  affected  by  the  love  or  hatred  of  the  animal  for 
the  stable.  The  only  point  which  really  remains  to  be  decided  is,  does 
the  stable,  as  at  present  built,  represent  the  most  healthful  and  the  most 
pleasant  abode  which  man's  imagination  can  picture  for  his  tired  and 
submissive  companion  ?  If  it  be  possible  to  suppose  a  better  home  for 
the  quadruped,  then  it  becomes  the  moral  duty  of  man  to  raise  such  a 
structure.  All  pretenses  about  the  sacrifice  of  existing  property  and  the 
regards  for  pecuniary  outlay  are  of  no  weight  when  urged  against  a 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


253 


rightful  obligation.  Man  is  blessed  with  reason,  and  is  constituted,  in 
this  world,  the  only  judge  of  his  own  actions.  So  high  a  privilege  should 
bind  him  to  be  even  more  than  just  in  his  decisions ! 

To  return.     The  reader  will  observe  that,  in  the  sketch  No.  1,  the 
bones  rest  one  upon  the  other.     That  arrangement  ensues  when  the 


No.l. 


No,  2. 


THB   STRESS  ENBtJBED  BY  THE  DIFFERENT  STRUCTITRES  WHICH  COMPOSE  THE  LEG  OF  THE  HORSE  IS 
DEPENDENT   UPON   THE   POSITION  OF    THE    FOOT. 


animal  descends  an  incline.  There  can  exist  no  man  but  must  have  en- 
joyed the  ease  which  is  imparted  by  walking  down  a  slop-e.  Every  person 
must  also  be  acquainted  with  the  fatigue  consequent  upon  ascending  an 
acclivity.  The  effect  is  generally  explained  by  stating  that,  in  one  case 
progression  is  favored  by,  while  in  the  other  it  is  made  in  opposition  to, 
gravitation.  Such  a  cause,  certainly,  is  in  operation ;  but  the  different 
structures  on  which  the  strain  reposes,  when  moving  in  opposite  direc- 
tions, to  the  author's  mind  supply  a  better  Illustration  of  the  fact. 

Do  not  muscles,  and  does  not  tendon  participate  in  the  burden  which 
is  upheld  by  bone?  Assuredly  they  do ;  but  in  various  degrees.  No 
limb  can  move  unless  some  muscle  contracts.  Every  muscle  in  the  body 
arises  from  bone,  and  is  inserted  into  bone  by  the  interposition  of  liga- 
mentous fiber.  Before  a  member  can  be  elevated  or  depressed,  some 
muscle  must  drag, from  some  bone,  that  it  may  move  some  other  bone 
more  distantly  situated.  Then,  tendon  cannot  escape  strain,  since  in  no 
possible  attitude  is  every  portion  of  the  frame  in  absolute  rest.  Motor 
muscles,  however,  generally  exist  in  pairs.  They  are  spoken  of  as  ele- 
vators and  as  depressors,  or  as  flexors  and  as  extensors.  Their  uses  are 
opposite,  but  not  opposed.  When  one  set  works,  the  other  is  inactive. 
niiThe  bones  in  the  sketch,  indicated  by  No.  2,  evidently  press  against 


254 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


the  backward  tendons.  Such  a  position,  if  long  maintained,  leads  to 
fatigue,  and  ultimately  induces  pain.  Man  cannot  enjoy  rest  under  such 
a  condition  of  parts ;  though  both  tendon  and  muscle  are  benefited  by 
brief  tension,  continuous  strain  soon  exhausts  either  structure.  The 
reader  must  have  beheld  two  travelers  meet  upon  a  mountain's  side. 
One  shall  be  descending  from  the  heights,  the  other  is  ascending  from  the 
valley.  But  while  the  men  converse,  they  do  not  hold  their  relative 
positions  one  to  the  other.  Each,  without  thought  or  reflection,  ex- 
changes it  for  the  horizontal  situation;  while  their  dialogue  lasts,  both 
present  their  sides  to  the  spectator. 

This  is  precisely  what  many  horses  learn  to  do.  Much  indignation 
is  always  excited  in  the  groom's  bosom  because  an  animal,  prompted  by 
its  instinct,  has  discovered  a  method  of  easing  its  limbs  and  of  saving 
the  master's  property  from  injury.  Standing  for  hours  upon  an  acclivity, 
however  gradual,  throws  stress  upon  the  back  sinews,  and  must  pain  the 
tired  limbs.     To  counteract  that  efiect,  the  animal  turns  the  head  from 


STANDING  ACK0S3  THE  STALL, 


the  manger,  and  stands  across  the  flooring  of  the  stall,  after  the  same 
plan  as  actuated  the  .two  travelers  when  they  paused  upon  the  mountain 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM     STABLES.  255 

side.  But  the  conduct  which  in  man  draws  forth  no  remark,  when  ex- 
hibited by  the  horse  is  abominated  by  a  virtuous  groom  as  the  declara- 
tion of  inveterate  "vice." 

Pitiable  vice !  It  is  melancholy  to  behold  a  man  cruelly  punish  an 
animal  for  a  reasonable  act.  But  heavy  castigation  does  every  horse 
receive  that  is  guilty  of  exercising  the  instinct  with  which  Heaven  has 
endowed  it.  The  groom,  being  excited  to  resentment,  grasps  a  stick  and 
deals  well-aimed  blows,  while  his  voice  shouts  forth  harsh  words,  which 
pain  and  terrify  the  patient  creature,  whose  only  faults  were  too  much 
sense  and  too  great  feeling. 

When  a  horse  is  terrified,  danger  is  likely  to  ensue  in  exact  proportion 
to  the  smallness  of  that  space  which  can  be  commanded  for  the  display 
of  its  alarm.  The  timidity  being  excessive,  of  course  the  contortions 
of  the  body  are  equally  demonstrative.  The  animal  dashes  about,  re- 
gardless of  its  own  safety,  and  heedless  of  those  around  it.  It  sees 
nothing ;  it  can  remember  nothing,  save  only  that  some  horrid  torture  is 
imminent.  Its  struggles  are  wild  efforts  to  escape.  In  the  momentary 
panic,  it  may  break,  or  it  may  damage  anything.  It  may  kill  any  per- 
son who  shall  stand  in  its  way,  or,  in  the  furore  of  its  agony,  it  may, 
through  misadventure,  do  serious  mischief  to  its  own  body. 

Such  consequences  are  always  to  be  expected  when  a  horse  is  beaten 
within  the  stable  while  the  head  is  fastened  to  the  manger.  By  the 
latter  circumstance,  the  probability  of  an  injury  is  increased.  Harm, 
however,  to  his  employer's  property,  danger  to  his  own  person,  and  peril 
to  the  safety  of  his  charge,  the  groom  despises,  or  willingly  hazards, 
rather  than  allow  an  odious  "vice"  to  escape  correction!  No  severity, 
however,  can  teach  a  quadruped  not  to  seek  the  ease  which  it  has  dis- 
covered the  means  of  realizing.  When  the  groom  is  absent,  or  during 
the  night,  the  act  of  "  wickedness "  is  always  renewed,  although,  in  the 
presence  of  its  attendant,  the  indulgence  may  be  suppressed. 

Slanting  pavements  likewise  instruct  horses  in  the  practice  of  other 
habits  which  the  groom,  in  his  peculiar  sphere  of  mental  elevation,  can- 
not otherwise  than  recognize  as  "vices."  As  such,,  he  punishes  their 
exhibition  without  mercy.  Some  public-house  companion  may  visit  the 
stable-man  while  he  is  dozing  through  the  afternoon  upon  the  locker. 
Most  servants  notoriously  have  no  choice  between  stubborn  duty  and 
the  relaxation  of  "pipe  and  pot."  The  groom  is  always  the  ready 
victim  of  temptation,  and  upon  the  slightest  persuasion  quits  the  stable 
for  the  parlor  "over  the  road."  Some  sad  and  patient  animal  may  have 
been  silently  watching,  longing  for  the  man's  absence,  during  a  consid- 
erable period ;  no  sooner  does  the  creature  hear  the  door  slam,  than  it 
begins  to  take  small  steps  backward.     The  horse  thus  feels  its  way  till 


256 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


the  sudden  fall  in  the  pavement  announces  that  the  posterior  hoofs  have 
reached  the  gutter,  within  the  hollow  of  which  the  toes  are  immediately 
depressed. 

Such  an  attitude  being  attained,  all  stress  upon  the  flexor  tendons  is 
removed  from  the  backward  legs.  The  bones,  while  the  toes  can  bo 
depressed,  sustain  the  weight  of  the  haunches.  Partial  ease  is  thereby- 
secured,  and  with  the  new  sensation,  a  numbing  torpor  creeps  over  the 
animal.  Its  feelings  are  soothed  by  present  pleasure,  and  the  senses, 
thrown  off  their  guard,  grow  dead  to  all  outward  impressions.  The 
victim  of  former  ages,  when  taken  from  the  rack,  must  still  have  endured 
agony ;  but  the  lull  occasioned  by  the  cessation  of  acute  torture  threw 
the  sufferer  into  a  lethargy,  which  is  reported  to  have  resembled  the 
luxury  of  sleep.  So  is  it  with  the  horse.  The  forefeet  are  still  under- 
going torment;  but,  under  partial  relief,  the  animal  seems  to  doze,  or 
becomes  unconscious  to  the  facts  around  it. 


THE  HIND  FEET  AEE  EASED  IN  THE  GUTTER. 


The  horse  is  tranquilly  luxuriating,  and  cozily  reveling  in  the  moments 
of  forbidden  ease,  when  the  groom  quietly  returns  to  the  stable.  His 
eyes  rest  upon  that  "abominable  wicious  creatur,  agin  brakin  o'  the 
law  1"    The  animal  has  actually  dared  to  indulge  in  so  much  ease  as 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES.  257 

instinct  can  discover  among  the  cruel  invention  of  centuries  by  vt^liich 
its  body  is  surrounded.  -The  quadruped  excites  the  more  anger  by 
seeming  to  enjoy  its  wickedness  I  The  groom  is  infuriated  by  the  con- 
templation of  such  depravity  1  Beer  and  tobacco  stimulate  his  indig- 
nation. He  creeps  slyly  toward  the  whip,  and  commences  to  lash  the 
culprit. 

Some  persons  may  be  inclined  to  suppose  the  being  who  has  so  recently 
deserted  his  post,  ought  to  look  indulgently  on  what  he  conceives  to  be 
the  fault  of  another  and  of  an  inferior  animal.  But  the  vile  always  are 
the  pitiless ;  for  charity  is  the  foundation  of  all  goodness.  The  lash  is 
plied  with  energy — the  groom,  between  every  blow,  lamenting  "that  he 
can't  step  away  for  a  few  moments,  'thout  the  plaguey  brute  being  at  its 
old  tricks  agin."  The  thong  curls  round  the  quivering  and  perspiring 
body.  But  severity  in  these  cases  is  useless.  The  animal  has  discov- 
ered a  partial  solace  for  its  misery;  it  cannot  choose  but  indulge  its 
pleasurable  knowledge  at  the  very  next  opportunity. 

The  stabled  horse,  however,  has  not  only  to  stand  upon  a  slanting 
pavement  through  the  day;  it  must  throughout  the  night  lie  upon  a 
similar  incline,  rendered  slippery  by  a  covering  of  dry  and  polished 
straw.  Did  the  reader  ever  attempt  to  repose  upon  a  bed  slightly  out 
of  the  horizontal  ?  The  body  cannot  rest  on  such  a  couch.  The  sensa- 
tion communicated  is,  an  incessant  fear  of  slipping  off.  The  sleeper  is 
constantly  wakened  up,  with  a  vivid  impression  that  he  is  falling,  or  has 
fallen,  on  to  the  floor.  The  night  is  passed  in  discomfort.  But  what  is 
the  excitability  of  a  human  being,  when  compared  with  the  excessive 
fear  which  haunts  the  most  timid  of  all  created  lives  ? 

Man,  when  in  a  bed  of  the  above  description,  naturally  grows  rest- 
less; the  bed-clothes  are  disturbed,  and  the  body  laid  in  an  opposite 
direction.  All  will  not  allay  anxiety;  at  last  the  would-be  sleeper  is 
obliged  to  remain  contented  with  occasionally  nudging  himself  higher 
on  to  the  pillow.  Like  man  is  the  horse  in  many  things,  even  as  though 
the  animal  studied  and  mimicked  its  master.  Yet  the  inflation  of  pride 
hails  the  resemblance  as  an  insult,  and  regards  animals  as  things  created 
for  use,  and  doomed  to  be  subservient  to  the  caprice  of  mortal  pleasure. 

Precisely  as  man  would  behave,  did  he  chance  to  get  upon  a  slanting 
bed,  the  animal  conducts  itself,  only  with  such  difference  as  the  circum- 
stances enforce.  The  human  being  reclines  his  head  upon  a  pillow. 
But  the  horse  sinks  the  head  while  it  slumbers.  Man,  therefore,  nearly 
touches  the  board  situated  at  the  topmost  part  of  his  resting-place. 
Three  feet,  or  even  a  larger  space,  may  divide  the  quadruped  from  the 
stable  wall  which  forms  the  extremity  of  its  couch.  The  floor  on  which 
the  creature  lies  is  strewn  with  straw.     That  condition,  however,  rather 

n 


258  FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 

aggravates  the  inclination  of  the  resting-place,  for  dried  and  glossy  stems 
of  a  circular  figure  accelerate  more  than  they  retard  the  backward  gravi- 
tation of  the  body. 

The  creature  therefore — unable  to  reason,  acting  under  the  impression 
that  its  body  is  continually  sliding  backward — endeavors  to  recover  its 
original  position  by  nudging  itself  repeatedly  forward.  The  horse  has  ' 
neither  light  to  see,  hands  to  feel,  nor  sense  to  measure  the  distance. 
Imagination  is  the  only  dependence  which  it  can  boast  of.  Th-e  advances 
become  energetic  in  proportion  as  the  supposition  which  provokes  them 
is  annoying.  The  annoyance  is  regulated  by  the  irritability  of  the  quad- 
ruped. Some  stable  inhabitants  grow  more  morbidly  nervous ;  with 
these,  the  advances  are  proportionably  frequent;  so  that  the  head  of 
the  captive,  guided  by  the  collar-rope,  is  speedily  brought  into  violent 
contact  with  the  further  end  wall  of  its  compartment. 

Not  comprehending  the  meaning  of  the  blow,  but  suffering  from  pain 
and  fright,  the  animal  attempts  to  rise.  The  commencement  of  this 
movement  always  is  the  elevation  of  the  head,  which,  after  being  raised, 
is  strained  backward.  This  action  is  a  necessity  of  its  existence ;  and, 
dreaming  of  no  danger,  the  quadruped  essays  to  fulfill  the  natural  law. 
The  head,  however,  which  has  struck  the  wall  of  the  stable,  must  at  the 
time  he  immediately  under  the  manger.  Imagining  no  impediment,  the 
animal  exalts  its  crest  with  that  impetuosity  which  characterizes  all 
the  motions  of  the  horse.  It  strikes  against  the  manger,  and  a  heavy 
concussion  sends  the  member  into  its  original  abiding-place. 

The  stricken  creature  cannot  comprehend  the  reason  of  those  blows 
it  has  received.  But  it  is  often  chastised  for  nothing,  so  beating  is  to  it 
almost  a  matter  of  course.  It  crouches  in  terror  for  some  moments,  no 
doubt  hoping  its  tormentor  may  move  onward.  Then,  as  the  strained 
senses  can„ detect  no  sound,  it  ventures  once  more  to  raise  its  head.  The 
result  is  the  same  as  it  was  before.  The  horse,  after  repeated  efforts, 
becomes  alarmed.  Mad  with  fear,  and  wild  with  desperation,  it  now 
exerts  its  utmost  strength.  The  contention  may  continue  until  the 
groom  enters  the  stable  in  the  morning,  when,  bruised  and  panting, 
its  head  swollen  and  bleeding,  its  strength  exhausted  and  almost  its 
life  expended,  the  wretched  animal  is  discovered  prostrated  upon  the 
pavement. 

This  consequence  of  confining  an  animal  in  darkness  is  the  serious, 
and  probably  the  permanent,  deterioration  of  property.  At  the  best, 
the  services  are  lost  for  many  days.  In  any  case,  time  must  be  allowed 
for  the  necessary  recovery.  Few,  very  few  people  have  the  generosity 
to  recognize,  and  even  fewer  still  are  educated  to  perceive,  that  a  life  has 
been  for  many  hours  breathing  in  agony,  and  that  the  existence  may 


I 


FAULTS  INSEPARABLE  FROM  STABLES. 


259 


hereafter,  notwithstanding  all  the  present  state  of  art  can  accomplish, 
probably  drag  its  wretchedness  about  the  world  in  a  crippled  condition 


CAST   UNDER  THE   MANOER, 


No  person  living  possibly  wiMi,  when  inspecting  the  maimed  and  disabled 
horse,  reflect  upon  the  fate  which  dooms  the  animal  to  years  of  sorrow, 
laboring  through  the  lowest  species  of  earthly  trial ;  no  one  will  heave 
a  sigh  that  such  a  fate  overtook  a  placid,  gentle,  and  obedient  creature, 
which  was  dangerously  and  cruelly  confined  during  the  time  of  serving 
a  being  who  was  bound  to  study  the  necessities  and  administer  to  the 
happiness  of  the  life  over  which  he  had  assumed  absolute  authority. 

Other  evils  also  spring  from  obliging  the  horse  to  sleep  on  a  surface 
which  is  not  level.  The  head  of  the  animal  being  fastened  to  the  man- 
ger, it  has  no  choice  but  to  couch  where  it  stands,  or  to  remain  erect  and 
endeavor  to  sleep  in  that  position.  There  are  quadrupeds  which  adopt  and 
which  maintain  the  last  alternative :  their  bodies  never  repose  on  earth, 
until  their  injuries  and  their  wrong  are  engulfed  in  the  common  doom. 

It  is  not  every  animal,  however,  which  can  hold  to  such  a  resolution, 
in  spite  of  the  aches  and  agonies  by  which  it  must  be  enforced.  Certain 
creatures,  feeling  their  bodies  glide  backward,  rather  facilitate  than  en- 
deavor to  counteract  the  motion — hoping  to  soon  rest  upon  the  gangway, 
which  experience  has  taught  them  terminates  the  stall.  Others  sleep  so 
soundly  as  to  be  unconscious  of  the  movement;  while  a  third  class, 
having  attained  philosophy  through  a  life  of  misfortune,  pay  but  little 
regard  to  the  circumstances  around  them.     In  all  instances  the  frame 


266 


FAULTS  INSEPARABLE  FROM  STABLES. 


(iesc(!nds  the  slope,  till  the  quarters  pass  the  gutter  and  repose  upon  the 
gangway. 


A  HORBE    BTANDma  WHILE  IT  SLEEPS. 


Yet,  before  the  body  can  move  such  a  distance  from  the  manger,  the 
neck  and  the  collar-rope  must  both  be  strained.  However,  finding  its 
body,  at  length,  to  be  comfortably  located,  the  animal  meditates  com- 
posing itself  to  sleep,  which  is  not  to  be  done  while  the  neck  is  out- 
stretched and  the  chain  is  raised  far  above  its  natural  position.  To 
accomplish  this,  the  muzzle  must  be  considerably  lowered  and  the  neck 
be  retracted;  but,  before  either  can  be  done,  the  collar-rope  must  be 
loosened.  It  is  obviously  impossible  to  change  the  attitude  while  that 
fastening  remains  in  a  state  of  tension :  the  position  in  which  the  horse 
invariably  sleeps  cannot,  therefore,  be  assumed. 

In  this  dilemma,  the  intelligent  quadruped  determines  to  rise  and  to 
return  to  the  manger.  But  a  natural  law  has  ordained  that  before  the 
horse  gets  up  from  the  ground,  the  head  shall  be  thrown  backward ; 
thus  lightening  the  weight  upon  the  fore  quarters,  which  parts  are 
always  first  raised.  The  straightening  of  the  front  limbs  is  thereby 
facilitated.  But  this  movement  cannot  now  be  put  in  practice  because 
of  the  rope  which  retains  the  neck  outstretched.     Struggles  are  useless ; 


i 


FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 


261 


the  position  is  fixed,  and  the  creature  is  powerless  to  alter  it.  Tne  limbs 
are  free,  but  these  can  only  be  used  to  kick  and  to  aggravate  the  pain 
of  the  situation.  The  animal  is  a  prisoner,  and  so  it  must  remain,  vainly 
contending  with  its  doom,  and  exhausting  its  energies  in  fruitless  efforts 
to  escape. 

Assuredly,  he  should  have  possessed  an  enlarged  capacity  for  evil 
who  first  conceived  the  notion  of  making  a  living  creature,  which  was 
conspicuous  for  its  strength,  its  activity,  and  its  timidity,  exist  in  a  niche ; 
to  have  its  head  tied  up  by  day  and  by  night ;  and  subsequently  doomed 
it  to  rest  upon  a  floor  which  sloped  in  a  painful  and  an  unnatural  direc- 
tion. No  surer  means  could  have  been  invented  of  shortening  the  life, 
of  deforming  the  body,  or  of  injuring  the  limbs  of  the  creature  in  whose 
prosperity  man  conceived  he  had  "a  property."  Arms  of  all  kinds,  and 
of  every  description,  the  quadruped  might  have  been  safely  trusted  with ; 


LYING   ON   THE   GANGWAY. 


but  to  require  of  activity,  that  it  should  be  fettered  and  forego  all  motion ; 
to  demand  of  timidity,  that  it  should  be  bound  or  imprisoned,  and  not 
display  sensibility ;  to  ask,  that  strength  should  endure  and  not  attempt 
to  struggle,  was  surely  expecting  too  much  from  an  inhabitant  of  a 
world  in  which  fear,  as  the  natural  instructor  of  organized  beings,  is 
universally  prevalent. 

The  horse,  thus  located,  was  only  presented  with  the  ready  means  of 
doing  injury  to  itself.     It  was  provided  with  the  only  weapons  which 


262  FAULTS    INSEPARABLE    FROM    STABLES. 

naturo  had  empowered  it  to  employ.  A  more  unwholesome,  a  more 
unnatural,  or  a  more  dangerous  abode  for  any  of  the  equine  race  than 
the  stall  of  a  modern  stable,  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  utmost 
stretch  of  the  most  excited  malignity  to  imagine.  Still,  daily  accidents, 
which  must  have  occurred  for  centuries,  seem  to  be  incapable  of  instruct- 
ing mankind,  where  the  welfare  of  another  and  of  an  inferior  being  is 
concerned ! 

Animals  have  been  lamed ;  have  lost  the  power  of  vision ;  have  bred 
terrible  disorders,  and  have  been  found  stretched  in  death  upon  the  straw 
bed,  in  consequence  of  the  folly  which  has  persisted  in  building  modern 
stables.  Such  accidents  must,  as  a  necessity,  continue  so  long  as  these 
edifices  are  erected.  They  are  totally  unsuited  for  the  creature  which 
they  torture,  cripple,  and  confine.  Yet,  because  such  abominations  are 
sanctioned  by  custom  and  approved  by  ignorance,  it  is  far  more  than 
probable  that  the  author's  exposure  of  their  unfitness  will  be  read  with 
amusement,  and  admitted  to  be  just ;  but  the  scourge  which  is  recom- 
mended by  its  existence  and  patronized  for  its  convenience  will  still  be 
perpetuated.  It  may  continue  to  disgrace  this  country  for  more  than 
another  century,  although  the  judicious  outlay  of  a  few-  shillings  would 
greatly  amend  even  modern  stables.  Banish  the  stalls,  and  divide  the 
interior  into  loose  boxes.  Lower  the  mangers  and  the  hay  racks  to  the 
floor.  Soften  the  food  before  presenting  it  to  the  quadruped;  and 
abolish  the  loft,  now  placed  over  where  the  animals  repose.  Allow  the 
entire  space,  from  the  ground  to  the  roof,  for  the  huge  lungs  to  breathe 
in.  Improve  the  drainage.  Warm  the  building  by  means  of  a  slow 
combustion  and  by  water  pipes.  To  effect  all  this  should  not  cost  very 
much ;  and,  as  his  reward,  man  would  gain  the  longer  service  of  his 
slave,  together  with  an  inward  approval,  springing  from  a  consciousness 
of  having  done  his  duty  toward  the  meekness  which  Beneficence  has 
intrusted  to  his  keeping. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

THE   SO-OALLED  "INCAPACITATING   VICES,"  WHICH  ARE   THE   RESULTS  OP 
INJURY   OR   or  DISEASE. 

The  word  "vice,"  when  applied  to  the  horse,  represents  any  quality 
which  may  annoy  the  prejudices  of  the  groom,  or  may  prove  displeasing 
to  the  expectations  of  the  master.  It  is  purely  ridiculous  to  suppose 
the  animal  can  possibly  be  "vicious."  The  simple  nature  of  the  quad- 
ruped is  gifted  with  no  power  to  distinguish  good  from  evil.  It  lacks 
the  imagination  to  conceive  those  acts  which  man  esteems  to  be  heroic 
or  to  be  grand.  Were  the  creature  able  to  embody  ideas,  the  race  would 
possess  the  ability  to  combine;  anything  approaching  to  the  present 
patient  docility  would  then  be  exchanged  for  open  rebellion  against  the 
earthly  tyrant. 

Human  intelligence,  however,  seems  to  derive  a  strange  pleasure  from 
regarding  the  obedient  and  most  forgiving  horse  as  a  "vicious,"  a  savage, 
and  a  most  relentless  "brute."  There  seems  to  exist  some  happiness  in 
the  exhibition  of  those  cruelties  which  such  notions  alone  can  justify. 
It  is  true  that  such  unseemly  contests  do  not  invariably  terminate  in 
favor  of  him  who  always  originates  the  strife.  The  master,  who  could 
by  mildness  have  retained  his  power,  by  resorting  to  blows  occasionally 
becomes  worsted;  but  the  horse,  although  it  should  prove  victorious, 
always  has  to  grieve  over  its  triumph.  The  prowess  of  the  quadruped 
draws  down  the  heaviest  punishment  of  other  members  of  the  race,  an 
individual  of  which  the  animal  has  defeated. 

A  great  many  "accidents"  would  be  avoided,  and,  probably,  the 
amount  of  happiness  permitted  to  mortals  would  not  be  materially  les- 
sened, could  the  populace  be  instructed  to  think  a  horse  was  endowed 
with  senses,  was  gifted  with  feelings,  and  was  able,  in  some  degree,  to 
appreciate  motives.  Such  powers  are  enjoyed  by  all  the  higher  grades 
of  animal  life.  In  asserting  this,  there  is  not  the  most  distant  desire  to 
confound  the  living  creature  with  the  intellectual  being.  Reason  believes 
in  and  can  contemplate  a  futurity.  The  human  eye  takes  easiest  cogni- 
zance of  forward  objects.     The  vision  of  the  horse  does  not  behold 

(263) 


264      THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

objects  directly  in  front  of  its  head,  but  glances  backward,  without 
necessarily  turning  the  face.  Man  can  imagine  events  ere  they  are 
embodied  facts.  An  animal's  ideas  are  strictly  limited  by  its  individual 
experiences.  By  these,  its  mind  is  moulded  and  its  conduct  is  shaped. 
It  has  no  power  to  forget.  The  past,  with  it,  is  the  present.  To  suffer 
once,  is  to  endure  a  constant  dread  of  suffering  again.  To  be  pained, 
is  always  to  fear  a  repetition  of  the  agony.  What  has  been,  is,  so  long 
as  memory  shall  last ;  for  the  quadruped  can  conceive  no  future  on  which 
to  fix  its  thoughts,  or  in  the  contemplation  of  which  to  escape  from  the 
misery  that  begirts  its  existence. 

Would  those  persons  who  have  no  interest  in  any  contrary  opinion, 
adopt  the  above  view  of  the  subject,  how  very  much  of  danger  and  of 
unpleasantness  might  the  good  people  escape  1  It  is  not  unusual  to 
behold  an  elderly  gentleman,  of  the  highest  respectability,  flog  most 
unmercifully,  in  the  public  street,  some  inoffensive  steed,  until  a  red- 
dened face  announces  temper  to  be  lost.  Foot  passengers  look  on  the 
spectacle ;  but  no  one,  even  in  thought,  condemns  the  needless  severity. 
Hospital  surgeons,  however,  can  testify  to  something  more  permanent 
than  temper  being  occasionally  sacrificed  through  these  unseemly  con- 
tests. In  such  cases,  man  has  provoked  his  fate.  Reason,  in  vain, 
shows  a  broad  and  pleasant  path,  where  dwells  security.  Passion  blinds 
humanity,  pride  justifies  passion,  and  the  refuge  is  unheeded  ! 

Will  the  reader  kindly  grant  the  author  patience  while  the  present 
subject  is  pursued  a  little  further  ?  To  prove  the  horse  cannot,  in  any 
accepted  meaning  of  the  word,  possibly  be  "vicious,"  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  comprehend  that  vice  of  every  form,  whether  it  be  lewdness, 
drunkenness,  gluttony,  or  malice,  always,  in  some  gratification,  seeks 
for  a  personal  reward.  It  is  no  more  than  the  concentration  of  selfish- 
ness. It  always  presupposes  an  intention.  The  difference  between 
crime  and  insanity  lies  only  in  the  idea  of  some  recompense  to  be  secured 
by  the  commission  of  a  particular  act  and  in  sin  without  a  motive. 
When  the  horse  was  created  without  ability  to  comprehend  a  future,  the 
power  to  be  "vicious"  was,  with  the  possibility  of  a  contemplated 
motive,  withheld.  The  creature,  being  unable  to  anticipate  conse- 
quences, lacks  incentive;  therefore  it  can  display  no  "vice,"  though  it 
may  exhibit  insanity.  The  animal,  however,  may  not  always  please  its 
master;  it  is  the  "vice"  of  authority  to  call  trivial  offenses  by  harsher 
names  than  the  actions  in  fairness  should  receive  ;  but  no  man  has, 
hitherto,  stigmatized  the  horse,  which  he  deems  "vicious,"  as  insane. 

.  Having  premised  thus  much,  the  author  will  attempt  to  explain  some 
of  the  worst  forms  of  equine  "vice." 
.    "Rick  of  the  back"  and  "chink- of  the  back"  are  terms  which  repre- 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."      265 

sent  some  indefinite  injury  to  the  spine  of  a  horse.  The  quadruped  is 
essentially  a  beast  of  burden.  The  load  is  commonly  supported  on  the 
back.  It  is  so,  entirely,  when  the  creature  is  used  for  saddle  purposes ; 
and,  in  the  heavier  species  of  draught,  the  balance  always  inclines 
toward  the  back  of  the  "wheeler,"  while  the  spines  of  some  coarse 
horses  are  sadly  tried  when  they  are  obliged  to  trot  back  with  a  heavy., 
springless  cart,  after  the  load  has  been  delivered. 

It  is  the  general  custom  of  this  country  to  place  young  cart-horses 
between  the  chains,  or,  in  other  words,  to  employ  such  animals  only  in 
the  capacity  of  leaders.  The  practice  is  equally  wise  and  humane.  The 
draught  is  not  easier  as  the  propelling  force  is  situated  distant  from  the 
load,  but  the  pull  then  is  entirely  upon  the  collar,  and  no  weight  is 
allowed  to  rest  upon  the  immatured'  and  yielding  spine  of  a  youthful 
body.  These  benefits,  however,  are  all  rendered  nugatory  by  the  con- 
duct of  most  carters.  Such  men  are,  generally,  of  Herculean  propor- 
tions, and  are  conspicuous  for  no  lightness  of  person. 

The  cart,  dray,  or  wagon  leaves  the  office  with  the  driver  in  his 
proper  place,  walking  beside  the  horses.  Here  he  continues  until  the 
load  is  delivered;  but,  on  the  return  journey,  he  is  apt  to  experience 
fatigue.  He  does  not  reflect  how  far  his  individual  sensations  are  likely 
to  be  shared  by  the  animals  which  have  been  drawing  some  heavy 
burden  during  the  time  he  has  been  simply  walking  at  their  sides.  No ! 
Seeking  his  own  ease,  he  casts  his  body  upon  the  back  of  the  most  for- 
ward, and,  therefore,  upon  the  youngest  horse  of  the  team.  His  seat  is 
the  loins,  or  directly  upon  the  weakest  portion  of  the  vertebral  chain. 
There  he  rides,  squatting  with  his  legs  dangling  upon  one  side.  No 
doubt,  the  situation  is  pleasant ;  but  where  all  is  conjecture,  the  reader 
must  decide  how  far  the  repetition  of  such  an  act  may  account  for  rick 
of  the  back  being  common  among  the  heavier  kind  of  horses. 

It  was  otherwise  with  the  old  fly  wagons  of  a  former  day.  The 
driver  of  those  vehicles  used  to  have  fastened  behind  his  load  a  stout 
pony.  When  fatigued,  the  man  would  mount  the  supernumerary 
animal,  and,  riding  beside  his  horses,  would  rest  his  own  legs  while  he 
continued  to  guide  his  team ;  an  act  which  the  London  carter  is,  by  his 
position,  disqualified  for  performing.  While  the  driver  rests,  the  "luck 
which  attends  on  ignorance  "  must  take  care  of  the  vehicle. 

The  spine  of  the  horse,  in  a  natural  state,  is  characterized  by  a  highly 
elastic  property.  As  every  form  of  mechanism  is  exposed  to  injury  in 
proportion  as  it  approaches  to  perfection,  man  should  not  feel  surprised 
if  the  delicately-organized  back  of  the  animal  is  not  exactly  equal  to  all 
the  usages  unto  which  civilization  has  compelled  it  to  submit.  Indeed, 
when  we  feel  how  unscrupulous  the  human  being  can  become,  if  urged 


266       THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

onward  bj  the  pursuit  of  gain  or  prompted  by  a  sense  of  personal  in- 
dulgence, it  will  hardly  provoke  wonder  that  the  creature  doomed  to  be 
the  helpmate  of  the  avaricious,  should  occasionally  suffer  in  their 
service. 

Rick  or  chink  of  the  back  is  among  the  most  common  and  the  least 
understood  of  equine  affections.  Its  symptoms  are  confounded  —  one 
and  the  same  name  being  employed  to  indicate  every  stage  of  the  dis- 
order, thus  confusing  inquiry.  Those  eff'ects  which  result  from  organic 
change  are  regarded  as  the  promptings  of  that  "viciousness  of  spirit" 
with  which  it  has  pleased  mankind  to  credit  the  horse.  The  liberality 
of  mortal  imagination  is  extreme,  especially  where  causes  have  to  be 
assumed.  Grant  man  the  right  to  conjecture,  and  there  is  no  mystery 
in  nature  for  which  he  cannot  account.  Thus,  the  sharp  pangs  of  agony 
which  induced  the  contortions  of  a  dumb  creature  were  conjectured  to 
be  the  gratification  of  an  innately  "  vicious  disposition. "  This  pretended 
explanation  has  remained  unquestioned  for  ages,  abusing  the  intellect  of 
mankind  and  hardening  the  hearts  of  those  whom  it  was  thought  to 
enlighten.  No  doubt  many  very  worthy  people  will  feel  much  inclined 
to  quarrel  with  the  book  which  presumes  to  question  the  interpretation 
that  generations  have  approved  and  time  has  sanctified. 

However,  to  expose  the  manner  in  which  the  personation  of  meekness 
has  been  abused  by  the  arrogance  of  ignorance — certain  animals  are 
supposed  to  indulge  a  morbid  habit,  or  "vicious"  propensity,  which  is, 
by  the  lower  orders,  spoken  of  as  "kidney  dropping."  Creatures  thus 
viciously  disposed  are  generally  aged,  and  are  devoted  either  to  heavy 
draught  or  to  harness  purposes.  They  are  sometimes  met  in  those 
stables  where  horses  are  let  out  by  the  "hour,  day,  or  job."  One  thus 
afflicted  will  be  drawing  a  gig  along  some  pleasant  country  road  when 
"the  vice"  shall  be  suddenly  displayed.  The  attacks  may  appear  in 
rapid  succession,  when  they  ren(Jer  the  life  worthless ;  or  they  may  only 
come  on  at  distant  intervals,  being  separated  by  long  periods  of  apparent 
soundness.  No  jockey,  however  knowing  he  may  be  in  his  vocation,  or 
however  boastful  he  may  be  about  "  my  'sperience  'mong  'orses,"  can,  by 
any  visible  sign,  announce  the  day  or  foretell  the  hour  when  a  particular 
quadruped  will  be  afflicted  with  an  attack  of  "  kidney  dropping. " 

The  horse  shall  be  harnessed  to  some  light  vehicle,  within  which  may 
be  seated  some  tradesman,  by  whose  side  smiles  the  eldest  daughter  of 
a  numerous  family.  The  animal  is  not  overloaded,  and  seems  to  be 
journeying  pleasantly  at  its  own  pace.  He  who  holds  the  reins  is  de- 
lighted ;  while  she  who  sits  beside  him  ever  and  anon  leans  forward  to 
pat  the  croup  of  "the  dear  pet."  The  sun  is  shining;  the  birds  are 
singing ;  the  trees  are  bright  with  new  foliage ;  and  the  country  smells 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       267 


most  pleasantly  fresh;  when,  suddenly,  the  gig  is  brought  sharply  up, 
and  "the  wicked  beast"  is  discovered  squatting  upon  its  haunches  like  a 
dog. 


KIDNEY  BKOPPEB." 


This  is  an  unnatural  position  with  the  horse.  It  is  perfectly  true, 
animals  are  made  to  assume  it  in  the  circle  of  most  amphitheaters ;  but 
if  the  reader  remembers,  he  also  beheld  men,  in  the  same  place,  put 
their  arms  and  legs  in  positions  which  were  quite  as  unnatural  to  hu- 
manity in  general  as  sitting  on  their  haunches  possibly  could  be  to  the 
community  of  the  equine  race.  What,  therefore,  may  have  been  ex- 
hibited at  a  circus  signifies  nothing,  when  regarded  in  its  fitness  for 
universal  application ;  in  all  other  spheres,  sitting  on  the  haunches,  when 
exemplified  by  the  horse,  must  be  accepted  as  proof  of  bodily  derange- 
ment. 

If  the  attitude  of  the  animal  be  observed,  the  hind  limbs  will  be  seen  to 
have  fallen  in  such  positions  as  suggest  no  notion  of  comfort  or  of  design. 
They  may  cross  one  another,  or  they  may  be  sprawled  out  on  either  side 
of  the  body ;  they  are  never  arranged  with  that  grace  and  care  which 
indicate  the  attitude  to  have  been  deliberately  assumed.  Moreover, 
should  the  skin  be  pricked  with  the  point  of  a  pin,  no  sign  of  sensibility 
is  usually  elicited  from  the  hind  quarters.  Strike  the  prostrated  mem- 
bers, and  no  evidence  of  pain  follows  the  blow.  The  posterior  portions 
of  the  body,  obviously,  are  dead  to  this  world  and  to  its  malice. 

However,  do  not  fuss  about  the  horse ;  allow  the  sufferer  to  remain 
undisturbed  where  it  has  fallen.     Have  patience  with  the  distress  which 


268       THE     SO-CALLED     "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

no  cruelty  can  quicken.  Loosen  the  harness;  remove  the  shafts;  pro- 
cure some  water,  and  permit  sensibility  to  allay  its  parching  thirst. 
After  a  short  space,  the  quadruped  may  get  up  of  its  own  accord.  No 
time  has  been  lost ;  but  disease  has  not  been  aggravated  by  needless 
torture.  When  the  creature  rises,  the  fit  has  passed;  but  the  author 
doubts  if  the  recovery  can  then  be  pronounced  complete.  He  would, 
certainly,  brave  "an  accident"  who  should  essay  to  drive  a  horse  but 
recently  recovered  from  an  attack  of  "kidney  dropping,"  though  this 
hazard  may  be  fi-equently  incurred  with  apparent  impunity. 

Allow  the  injured  quadruped  to  remain  in  the  stable,  undisturbed  for 
the  night.  The  following  morning  will  be  time  enough  for  its  examina- 
tion ;  for  the  disease  under  which  the  horse  languishes  is  of  a  nature  that 
cannot  be  affected  by  the  lapse  of  a  few  hours. 

The  next  day,  having  selected  a  piece  of  clear  ground,  cover  the  spot 
thickly  with  straw,  and  have  the  horse  led  on  to  it.  The  services  of  a 
veterinary  surgeon  are  not  imperative.  The  proprietor  may  himself 
conduct  the  investigation :  or,  should  he  feel  distrustful  of  his  own 
ability,  any  person  possessed  of  the  necessary  amount  of  confidence  may 
undertake  the  active  duty.  All  idle  spectators  should  be  first  requested 
to  retire.  Then  the  investigator  takes  his  position  as  close  to  the  quad- 
ruped as  possible.  He  runs  the  forefinger  and  thumb  gently  over  the 
superior  spinous  processes  of  the  vertebral  chain,  or  down  the  center  of 


TEST  FOR  RICK  OP   THE   BACK. 


the  back.     This  action  is  repeated  several  times,  additional  force  being 
brought  to  bear  with  each  succeeding  trial,  until  the  whole  strength  of 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."      269 

the  operator  is  exerted.  While  he  is  doing  this,  the  person  who  under- 
takes the  investigation  fixes  his  attention  on  the  head  of  the  horse.  If, ' 
upon  pressure  being  made  on  any  particular  spot,  the  ears  are  laid  upon 
the  neck,  or  the  crest  is  suddenly  elevated,  the  fact  must  be  mentally 
noted.  The  trial  should  be  renewed,  and  if  the  like  symptoms  be  elicited. 
the  conclusion  naturally  is,  that  the  seat  of  injury  lies  immediate-ly  imder 
or  very  near  to  the  place  indicated. 

This  point  being  ascertained,  the  operator  puts  a  hand  on  either  side 
of  the  tender  part,  and  casts  his  full  weight  suddenly  upon  the  spine. 
Such  a  proceeding,  to  be  demonstrative,  must  be  rapid  and  energetic. 
Horses,  under  the  sudden  pang  thus  produced,  have  shrieked  in  agony. 
Generally,  animals  crouch  under  the  torture,  and  burst  forth  into  copious 
perspirations.  The  author  knows  of  no  instance  where  a  desire  to  em- 
ploy the  teeth  has  been  exhibited,  although  there  is  no  predicating  in 
what  manner  a  creature  may  behave  under  the  powerful  wrench  of 
actual  torment.  He,  however,  who  undertakes  such  an  inquiry,  must 
be  prepared  for  every  eccentricity;  and,  while  regretting  the  necessity 
which  obliges  agony  to  be  inflicted  on  a  gentle  and  a  timid  creature,  he 
should  also  be  far  above  those  coarse  and  brutal  punishments  which  are 
too  frequently  indulged  to  check  the  writhings  of  the  potent  suffering. 

The  affair  is  thus  decided.  The  spine  has  been  injured,  and  the  spinal 
cord  which  it  sheathes  is  also  involved  in  the  lesion.  Horses  in  such  a 
condition  are  commonly,  with  that  utter  want  of  morality  which  in  every 
species  of  horse  transactions  appears  equally  to  sway  all  degrees  of  the 
human  mind, — such  arlimals  are  commonly  cast  upon  the  market,  or 
publicly  disposed  of  by  auction.  The  cause  of  sale  is  willfully  con- 
cealed :  the  purchaser  is  designedly  imposed  on,  and  his  life  is  know- 
ingly endangered.  Persons  of  every  class,  from  most  noblemen  to  the 
ordinary  tradesman,  engage  in  this  form  of  arrant  cheatery.  They 
swindle  their  sense  of  rectitude  by  giving  no  warranty  at  the  time  of 
sale;  but  the  law  presumes  that  everything  sold  contemplates  a  fitness 
for  certain  purposes ;  whereas  a  horse  liable  to  an  instantaneous  loss  of 
power  in  its  limbs  is  dangerous  in  any  employment.  Yet  so  flimsy  an 
excuse  seems  to  justify  the  reputedly  honorable  man  extracting,  possi- 
bly, the  last  penny  from  the  pocket  of  or  imposing  upon  some  struggling 
and  needy  individual. 

The  animal,  being  sold,  is  soon  found  to  be  worthless;  it  speedily 
becomes  the  property  of  the  lower  class  of  horse-copers,  to  whom  that 
which  they  call  a  "kidney  dropper"  is  a  real  prize.  The  quadruped  is 
sold  "cheap"  to  people  of  worldly  respectability;  but  it  is  seldom  re- 
tained long  by  its  new  owners.  It  is  rebought,  for  little  more  than  its 
real  value,  by  its  former  proprietors,  to  be  once  more  palmed  off  on 


2T0       THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

some  aspiring  equestrian.  After  such  a  manner — selling  in  the  dearest 
market  and  buying  in  the  cheapest,  a  maxim  of  very  questionable  moral- 
ity— a  large  profit  has  been  realized  by  a  carcass  which  was  actually 
worthless. 

The  author,  never  having  dissected  the  spine  of  a  "kidney  dropper,"  *" 
cannot  positively  say  in  what  condition  of  parts  the  disease  resides.  A 
knowledge  of  anatomy,  however,  aided  by  a  comprehension  of  the  symp- 
toms, demonstrates  the  vertebral  chain  is  the  seat  of  injury ;  while  the 
want  of  motion  which  affects  the  hinder  limbs  indicates  the  spinal  mar- 
row to  be  suddenly  pressed  upon.  Subsequent  recovery  likewise  proves 
the  injury  to  the  nervous  center  is  of  no  more  serious  a  character ;  while 
the  perfect  restoration  of  the  animal's  power  shows  that  the  pressure  is 
either  caused  by  displacement,  or  by  such  a  partial  fracture  as  rest  will 
enable  nature  to  surmount.  This  explanation,  deduced  from  observation, 
and  based  upon  inferences  drawn  from  the  study  of  effects,  will  to  most 
persons  appear  so  probable  as  to  be  perfectly  satisfactory.  Still,  there 
do  exist  minds  whose  faith  in  an  antiquated  name  it  is  hardly  possible 
for  any  argument  to  destroy ;  the  generality  of  readers,  therefore,  must 
grant  the  author  patience,  while  he,  most  probably  in  vain,  attempts  to 
disabuse  such  persons  of  their  strange  belief. 

The  term  "  kidney  dropping "  is  an  ignorant  combination  of  words  to 
which  no  absolute  meaning  can  be  attached.  The  kidneys  are  no  more 
than  the  renal  glands.  The  horse  which  falls  exhibits  no  sign  of  urinary 
disease.  These  organs  are  usually  healthy ;  of  that  fact  the  writer  has 
positive  information.  The  kidneys,  moreover,  are  not  specially  endowed 
with  motor  nerves ;  no  physiologist  has  hitherto  asserted  that  these 
glands  are  in  any  way  concerned  in  the  movements  of  the  body.  The 
renal  organs  have,  by  the  French,  been  unwarrantably  removed,  without 
the  general  sensation  or  the  body's  motion  being  affected.  When  the 
horse  drops,  not  only  is  motion  gone  from  the  hind  limbs,  but  sensibility 
is  lost.  The  quarters  have  dropped,  not  in  accordance  with  the  will  of 
the  creature,  but  because  the  posterior  division  of  the  body  was  released 
from  the  control  of  the  sensorium,  or  was  suddenly  cut  off  from  the 
influence  of  volition. 

The  spinal  marrow  regulates  the  motions  of  the  limbs,  being  subject 
only  to  the  dictation  of  the  brain.  Volition  and  motion  are  in  these 
organs  associated,  but  not  absolutely  united.  They  both  are  capable  of 
separate  existence,  though  the  mechanical  derangement  which  destroys 
the  one  usually  puts  an  end  to  the  other.  Nevertheless,  they  can  exist 
apart.  Convulsion  exhibits  motion,  as  independent  of  the  will ;  while 
painful  paralysis  displays  sensibility  increased,  although  power  of  move- 
ment has  been  lost     In  "kidney  dropping,"  coneciousness  is  retained; 


THE     SO-CALLED 

but  motion  and  sensibility  have  departed  from  one-half  of  the  trunk. 
This  result  indicates  the  nervous  current  to  be  partially  checked,  and 
points  to  the  great  medium  of  transmission  as  the  seat  of  injury. 

There  is,  however,  another  form  of  chink  in  the  back,  where  the  spinal 
marrow  is  in  no  vast  degree  involved,  and  in  which  the  animal  exhibit- 
ing the  affection  is  not  generally  devoted  to  harness  purposes.  The 
horse  is  commonly  showy  in  appearance,  and  is  usually  disposed  of  ex- 
clusively for  saddle  uses.  But  the  existence  of  a  disease  is  not  denoted 
by  any  outward  sign ;  therefore  its  presence  is  sneered  at  as  a  positive 
impossibility.  Quadrupeds,  thus  disordered,  are,  by  the  generality  of 
horsemen,  condemned  as  " irreclaimably  vicious." 

One  of  the  bones  of  the  spine  has  been  rendered  loose  in  consequence 
of  the  ligaments  being  overstrained;  the  animal  has  been  abused  in 
some  manner.  The  ligaments,  when  in  this  condition,  are  acutely  pain- 
ful ;  though  no  visual  disorder  may  be  obsei*vable  to  the  post-mortem 
examiner,  nevertheless  the  slightest  weakness  in  such  a  structure  may, 
during  life,  occasion  the  severest  agony.  The  bone  is  not  fractured; 
but  one  of  the  vertebrae,  through  the  leverage  of  its  superior  spinous 
process,  may  have  been  wrenched  slightly  to  one  side.  This  may  not 
aflfect  the  appearance  of  the  quadruped ;  neither  may  it  elicit  signs  of 
pain  when  the  weight  is  evenly  seated  upon  the  back ;  therefore,  only 
during  the  act  of  mounting,  the  drag  then  being  entirely  to  one  side,  it 
occasions  the  most  poignant  anguish. 

The  horse,  being  dumb,  of  course  cannot  explain  its  sensations;  nor 
can  it  appeal  to  the  forbearance  of  its  master.  Its  ailments  are  entirely 
subjected  to  the  merciful  consideration  of  man.  The  animal's  actions, 
therefore,  are  always  liable  to  be  misconstrued ;  the  promptings  of  tort- 
ure are  frequently  confounded  with  the  exhibitions  of  the  worst  forms 
of  "vice."  Thus,  a  creature  with  the  ligaments  of  the  back  strained  is 
always  condemned  as  an  inveterate  kicker;  because  the  drag,  produced 
by  the  weight  of  the  rider  resting  on  one  stirrup,  occasions  so  sharp  an 
agony  as  alarms  the  quadruped,  and  naturally  excites  a  determination  to 
repel  some  imaginary  enemy.  The  creature,  consequently,  commences 
to  "lash  out"  with  its  utmost  energy.  This  violence  is  repeated  so 
often  as  the  owner  has  occasion  to  remount.  The  action  is  always 
sudden,  and  not  to  be  inferred  from  the  previous  aspect  or  behavior  of 
the  nag.  It  is,  therefore,  attended  with  the  greater  danger,  not  only  to 
the  proprietor,  but  also  to  those  who  may  be  collected  about  the  horse. 

A  good  illustration  of  the  above  facts  occurred  a  few  years  back,  in 
front  of  certain  spacious  "rooms,"  then  much  frequented  by  "the  fash- 
ionable world."  A  cavalry  officer,  recently  returned  from  India,  went  to 
bear  a  morning  concert  at  the  place  just  alluded  to.    There  he  met  some 


2*12       THE     SO-CALLED     "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

old  friends,  who  had  changed  their  residence  since  he  had  left  the  coun- 
try, being  then  located  at  Richmond.  The  party  had  ridden  to  London ; 
the  military  gentleman  was  pressed  to  return,  and  to  spend  a  pleasant 
day  at  the  suburban  villa.  A  servant  was  dispatched  to  hire  a  horse ; 
the  man  soon  returned  with  a  rather  small,  but  very  showy,,  black  nag. 


NEVER  MOUNT  A  STRANQE  HORSE  IN  A  CROWDED  LOCAUTT. 


The  officer  thought,  before  the  concert  was  ended,  he  would  retire  and 
form  the  acquaintance  of  an  animal  he  was  shortly  to  ride  for  several 
miles.  It  was  well  he  did  so ;  for  no  sooner  was  his  foot  placed  in  the 
stirrup,  than  what  previously  appeared  to  be  a  remarkably  steady  quad- 
ruped began  to  "lash  out."  The  action  was  continued,  creating  terrible 
confusion  among  the  crowd  which  thronged  the  street,  and  ultimately 
throwing  the  would-be  rider.  The  military  gentleman  was  probably 
more  hurt  in  feelings  than  in  person  by  the  incident ;  although  the  latter 
circumstance  formed  an  excuse  for  not  journeying  to  Richmond,  and  the 
occurrence,  on  the  following  morning,  was  circulated  throughout  London 
as  a  newspaper  paragraph,  bearing  a  heading  of  "  Serious  Accident  to 
A  Cavalry  Officer." 

Violent,  however,  as  may  be  the  resistance  provoked  while  the  foot  is 
in  the  stirrup,  the  seat  of  the  saddle  is  no  sooner  attained  than  compo- 
sure is  restored.  When  the  rider  is  once  fairly  on  the  back,  the  steed 
assumes  its  natural  timidity,  its  docility,  and  its  obedience.  It  is  then 
transformed  into  all  the  most  fastidious  proprietor  could  desire.  That 
circumstance  has  induced  some  horsemen  who  were  more  thoughtful 
than  the  generality  of  the  race,  to  change  the  habit  usual  in  this  coun- 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."      2*73 

try.  Such  persons  have  tried  the  effect  of  mounting  upon  the  wrong 
side;  this  has  usually,  for  a  certain  time,  been  attended  with  perfect 
success ;  but  the  custom,  after  a  space,  has  seemed  to  involve  the  sound 
ligaments,  when  the  kicking  has  been  renewed  with  more  than  double 
vehemence.  A  horse  which  kicks  in  the  way  described,  should  always 
be  transferred  to  harness  work,  when  no  vast  weight  being  upon  the 
back,  the  quadruped  generally  behaves  admirably. 

Rick  or  chink  in  the  back  is,  however,  the  common  property  of  creat  • 
ures  of  heavy  draught,  and,  with  such  a  description  of  horse,  the  con- 
sequences are  usually  more  marked  and  much  more  severe.  The  reader 
will  readily  imagine  that  a  "kidney  dropper,"  falling  suddenly  while 
pulling  a  weighty  load,  can  hardly  escape  "accident."  Therefore,  quad- 
rupeds of  the  coarser  breed,  and  thus  afflicted,  rapidly  come  into  the 
possession  of  those  who  do  not  scruple  to  trade  with  misery ;  and,  as 
this  form  of  disease  enables  the  sufferer  to  appear  with  a  blooming  coat, 
as  well  as  with  a  carcass  carrying  a  quantity  of  fat,  the  copers  often  reap 
a  rich  harvest  by  their  unscrupulous  dishonesty. 

A  common  cause  of  these  accidents  is  the  thoughtlessness  or  the 
greediness  of  horse  proprietors.  It  has  become  almost  a  custom,  with 
needy  masters,  to  send  out  one-horse  carts  upon  two  wheels  with  long 
reins  attached  to  the  harness.  The  motive  which  induces  such  silly 
behavior  is  obvious  enough.  The  tradesman  imagines  that  by  the  ani- 
mal being  hurried  back  after  the  load  is  delivered^  time  can  be  saved. 
He  does  not  consider  that  the  limbs,  which  have  been  strained  dragging 
some  fearful  weight  to  a  particular  spot,  may,  before  another  task  of 
magnitude  is  imposed,  possibly  require  the  comparatively  easy  walk  back 
to  recover  the  full  use  of  their  functions.  He  probably,  and  it  is  hoped 
actually,  has  never  reflected  that  perpetual  fatigue  soon  exhausts,  and 
ultimately  disables,  animal  energy. 

The  cart  horse,  moreover,  being  forced  to  quicken  its  pace,  is  urged 
beyond  the  habits  and  the  uses  for  which  man  has  bred  the  creature.  It 
is  compelled  to  execute  a  duty  for  the  performance  of  which  its  bodily 
formation  renders  it  totally  unsuited.  The  poor  animal  that  is  called 
upon  to  fulfill  opposite  uses,  generally  endures  the  shorter  period :  be- 
cause of  the  excessive  labor  it  is  obliged  to  undergo.  The  custom,  there- 
fore, accords  with  the  saying,  which  illustrates  waste  and  extravagance, 
by  supposing  a  candle  to  be  lighted  at  both  ends.  The  wretched  horse 
is  now  a  cart  horse,  loaded  to  the  extent  of  its  ability ;  next,  it  is  expected 
to  display  the  activity  of  a  gig  horse,  although  it  is  harnessed  to  what 
badly  represents  the  lighter  vehicle ;  while,  the  long  day  of  continued 
toil  being  ended,  the  slave  is  required  to  trot  briskly  homeward  with  a 
crowded  load  of  human  laborers. 

18 


2U       THIS    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

The  dismissed  cart  is  generally  well  burdened,  after  the  hour  for  strik- 
ing work  has  arrived.  The  men  usually  leave  off  their  toil  as  the  first 
stroke  of  the  clock  is  heard ;  but  no  such  relaxation  is  permitted  to  the 
creature  which,  of  the  many  over-worked  bodies,  has  toiled  the  hardest 
and  needs  rest  the  most.  The  quietude  of  London  suburbs  is  regularly 
broken  with  the  thud  1  thud !  thud  I  produced  by  the  heavy  shafts  pulling 
down  the  chain,  which  has  been  jolted  upward  by  the  ungainly  trot  of  the 
tired  slave.  The  sound  declares  the  force  which  falls  every  few  moments 
upon  the  same  part  of  a  living  spine.  The  falling  of  a  single  drop  of 
water,  long  continued,  on  the  same  place,  can  occasion  direst  agony. 
The  Inquisition  illustrated  that  fact.  But  the  cart  is  heavier  than  many 
drops  of  water.  Any  one  who  has  beheld  a  spectacle  of  this  description, 
can  have  hardly  failed  to  observe  the  faintness,  mingled  with  suffering, 
which  propels  the  load.  The  driver  commonly  stands  up  near  to  the 
front ;  he  jags  the  reins  and  loudly  cracks  the  long  whip,  that  fright  may 
quicken  the  movement  of  those  limbs  which  tire  seems  to  glue  to  the 
stones  over  which  they  pass. 


THE    COMMON  CAUSES  OP  RICK  OF  THE  BACK  IN  HEAVY  H0BSE8. 


Rick  or  chink  in  the  back  is,  generally,  generated  by  that  want  of 
sympathy  shown  by  the  community  of  proprietors  in  regard  to  their 
property  in  horse  flesh.  It  would  be  a  legitimate  cause  for  wonder, 
were  horses  not  a  hazardous  investment,  when  breathing  and  living 
frames  are  subjected  to  the  united  effects  of  ignorance  and  o*"  prejudice. 


THE     SO-CALLED     "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       2T5 

Upon  the  earliest  indication  being  perceived  of  the  spine  having  been 
badly  injured,  the  horse  should  be  instantly  throvs^n  up  for  at  least  six 
months.  The  animal  ought  not  to  have  a  layer  of  pitch,  rosin,  etc. 
smeared  thickly  over  the  back,  and  be  turned  out  to  take  its  chance  upon 
a  green  diet.  But  it  should  be  placed  in  a  roomy,  loose  box :  it  should 
have  the  hair  cut  off  close  over  the  seat  of  injury,  and  the  place  should 
be  constantly  moistened  by  means  of  cloths  dipped  in  a  lotion,  composed 
of  tincture  of  arnica,  two  ounces,  and  water,  one  pint.  This  remedy, 
with  softened  food  of  the  most  supporting  kind,  should  constitute  the 
treatment  for  the  first  month  of  recovery. 

At  the  end  of  that  period,  we  may  assume  that  inflammation  has  been 
subdued;  thereupon  the  measures  adopted  may  be  changed.  Some 
compound  soap  liniment  should  be  rubbed  on  the  surface  every  morning. 
Should  the  application  blister  the  skin,  the  liniment  must  be  withheld 
for  a  time ;  but  so  soon  as  friction  can  be  quietly  endured,  the  stimulant 
must  be  renewed.  All  this  while,  the  quadruped  should  be  well  fed ;  but 
medicine  should  be  strictly  withheld,  grass  and  bran  mashes  being  solely 
employed  to  regulate  the  bowels  if  their  action  be  sluggish. 

When  morbid  sensibility  no  longer  exists  in  the  spine,  and  moderate 
pressure  with  the  fingers  can  be  borne  upon  the  back,  the  liniment  may 
be  discontinued ;  but  the  restoration  is  to  finish  with  the  repeated  use 
of  liquid  blisters.  One  side  of  the  spine,  near  to  the  seat  of  injury,  is 
first  to  be  acted  upon ;  when  the  action  of  the  vesicatory  appears  to  be 
subsiding,  the  other  half  of  the  back  should  be  attacked.  This  plan 
must  be  pursued  till  the  fifth  month  has  expired,  the  horse  being  sus- 
tained upon  the  best  and  most  nutritive  food.  After  this  period  has 
elapsed,  a  handful  of  ground  oak  bark  should  be  mingled  with  each 
allowance  of  provender.  The  animal,  during  all  this  time,  never  being 
flurried,  or  allowed  to  leave  its  ample  stable. 

Upon  recovery,  the  quadruped  ought  never  to  be  employed  for  that 
same  kind  of  service  in  which  the  injury  was  received.  No  weight 
should,  subsequently,  be  placed  upon  the  back ;  for  the  spine  which  has 
been  once  injured,  can  never,  by  human  art,  be  restored  to  its  pris- 
tine soundness.  However  greatly  the  animal  may  have  been  prized, 
even  as  a  hunter,  it  is  safer  and  much  more  profitable  to  doom  the  steed 
to  the  collar,  in  which  last  employment  old  hunters  particularly  delight 
in  exhibiting  their  highly-prized  excellences  of  action.  Many  a  horse 
that  appears  in  the  London  streets  running  before  some  brougham,  and 
which,  by  the  gayety  of  its  spirit,  excites  the  admiration  of  the  foot 
passengers,  will,  after  death,  be  found  to  have  one  or  more  bones  of  the 
spine  joined  by  osseous  deposit,  proving  that  the  back,  during  life,  must 
have  suffered  serious  injury. 


&t6       IHE    SO-CALLED     "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

Horse  owners,  however,  should  be  very  careful,  not  knowingly  to  risk 
chink  or  rick  of  the  back;  for  such  an  "accident,"  according  to  its  in- 
tensity, may  reduce  the  animal  of  fabulous  price  to  an  article  which 
shall  literally  be  almost  valueless.  It  brings  down  the  steed  which 
excited  universal  envy,  to  the  cripple  which  no  honest  man  would  sell, 
and  which  no  prudent  man  would  keep.  The  mischief  once  established, 
too  often  sets  science  at  defiance,  for  the  rick,  when  bad,  is  terribly  apt 
to  terminate  in  fearful  fracture  of  the  spine. 


THE    PATENT   TRACE-BHAPT. 


The  above  illustration  is  copied  from  the  heading  to  a  bill  which 
announces  a  patented  invention,  which  is  manufactured  by  Messrs.  Gib- 
son &  Co.,  of  Coventry  Street.  The  novelty  consists  in  the  shafts  being 
so  made  as  to  render  the  employment  of  traces  unnecessary  when  the 
animal  is  driven  in  single  harness.  The  weight  of  the  vehicle,  or  so 
much  of  it  as  usually  rests  upon  the  back,  is  dependent  entirely  from 
the  collar.  For  horses  troubled  with  any  of  those  "vices"  which  indi- 
cate the  spine  to  be  affected,  this  kind  of  harness  affords,  at  all  events, 
the  most  rational  hope  of  working  such  creatures  without  provoking  the 
annoying  and  the  dangerous  symptom. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  all  animals  which  have  been  worn  out 
under  the  saddle,  old  hacks  and  hunters,  are  doomed  to  end  their  lives 
in  the  more  ignoble  duties  of  propulsion,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find 
many  of  the  quadrupeds,  sold  for  double  or  single  harness,  are  affected 
with  those  complaints  which  indicate  the  back  to  be  disordered.  The 
worst  exhibitions  are  confined  to  gig  horses.  Few  carriage  or  brougham 
horses  are  thus  disabled ;  that  fact  almost  proves  the  author's  inference, 
as  well  as  demonstrates  the  utility  of  that  novelty  which  was  in  the  last 
illustration  introduced  to  the  notice  of  the  reader. 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       217 

As  heavy  quadrupeds  are  likely  to  be  similarly  diseased,  the  carter 
should  be  informed  of  the  fact,  and  cautioned  against  ever  riding  on  the 
backs  of  his  teamsters.  So  also  with  lighter  animals,  the  groom  should 
be  forbidden  to  mount  the  horses  which  are  very  liable  to  this  misfor- 
tune. The  shafts  of  a  cart  are  of  course  calculated  to  aggravate  this 
malady ;  but  such  a  horse  may  perform  easy  or  reasonable  labor  between 
the  chains  for  a  long  succession  of  years ;  only,  when  the  pull  is  severe, 
the  driver  should  go  to  the  head  of  the  disordered  teamster,  to  prevent 
any  undue  strain  upon  the  back,  or  it  would  be  certainly  better  if,  during 
the  period  of  exertion,  the  chains  were  unhooked. 

It  is  strange,  when  the  importance  of  the  spine  to  the  utility  of  the 
animal  is  considered,  and  when  the  well-known  fact  is  regarded  that  the 
lowest  class  of  copers  make  a  species  of  property  out  of  horses  suifering 
from  rick  of  the  back,  that  this  particular  region  receives  no  special 
attention  during  a  quadruped's  soundness  being  subjected  to  the  test  of 
an  ordinary  veterinary  examination  1  The  creature'^s  head,  tail,  eyes, 
teeth,  shoulders,  haunches,  limbs,  feet,  etc.  would  all  be  scrupulously 
investigated ;  but  the  back,  on  the  soundness  of  which  the  utility  of  the 
body  must  depend,  would  probably  be  only  honored  with  a  passing  notice. 

Animals,  however,  which  are  ricked  in  the  back,  are  generally  sold 
through  one  of  those  Horse  Auction  Marts  that  abound  in  the  metropolis. 
Such  places  offer  great  facilities  to  dishonest  practices,  and  afford  much 
encouragement  to  the  class  of  copers.  These  persons  never  care  to  pos-  • 
sess  a  sound  horse.  They  have  always  some  bargain  ready  to  be 
imposed  upon  a  novice ;  and  the  ignorant  in  horse  flesh  are  ever  eager 
to  snap  at  any  supposed  "awful  sacrifice."  The  uninitiated  is  a  fre- 
quenter of  auctions.  Being  there,  he  walks  down  the  gangways,  star- 
ing at  the  equine  chattels;  going  dangerously  near  to  their  heels,  but 
not  venturing  up  to  the  head  of  any  quadruped.  It  is  not  long  that 
this  person  is  permitted  to  stroll  unattended  in  such  a  sphere.  His 
notice  is  soon  directed  to  "one  of  the  right  sort."  The  groom  is  ordered 
to  bring  the  animal  into  the  yard,  and  show  "its  action"  to  the  gen- 
tleman. 

While  the  groom  is  putting  on  the  bridle  and  removing  the  cloth, 
the  uninitiated  accompanies  his  new  companion  into  the  yard.  The 
coming  of  the  animal  is  soon  announced  by  the  cracking  of  numer- 
ous whips.  The  poor  creature  is  hurried  and  flurried  about  the  little 
space  outside  the  stables,  or  it  is  made  to  prance  and  caper  along  the 
public  street.  The  intention  is  not  to  exhibit  the  natural  pace,  for  no 
person  possibly  could  judge  of  a  horse  when  the  animal  is  thus  circum- 
stanced. Fear  will  conceal  the  presence  of  disease,  and  the  symptoms 
of  alarm  are,  in  the  quadruped,  readily  mistaken  for  the  evidences  of  spirit. 


2T8       THL    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

The  novice  should  shun  such  society;  and  the  gentleman  deserves 
small  pity  who  ventures  into  such  a  locality.  Let  the  person  who 
desires  to  possess  a  horse,  and  who  can  afford  to  pay  for  the  luxury  he 
covets,  enter  the  premises  of  some  respectable  dealer.  Let  him  be  pre- 
pared^to  exchange  a  fair  sum  for  a  sound  and  serviceable  animal.  Let 
him  never  walk  into  the  yard,  and  wait  the  appearance  of  the  quad- 
ruped ;  but  rather  let  the  would-be  purchaser  remain  near  the  stall,  and 
observe  attentively  the  groom  while  the  man  is  putting  on  the  bridle. 
Some  creatures  are  alarmed  when  a  hand  approaches  the  head — an  in- 
dication, either  that  the  sight  is  imperfect,  that  severe  punishment  has 
been  inflicted,  or  that  the  brain  may  be  diseased.  This  symptom  also 
warrants  other  suspicions;  and  it  is  never  suggestive  of  health  or  of 
good  treatment.  The  precautions  taken  by  the  man,  when  going  toward 
the  head,  will  also  be  characteristic,  and  may  inform  the  spectator  of 
very  much  concerning  the  educated  temper  and  disposition  of  the  nag 
he  contemplates  acquiring. 


BACKING   ON   TO  THB  GANGWAY. 


Such  things,  however,  being  noted,  the  stranger  must  still  retain  his 
situation.  Some  horses,  though  not  absolutely  "ricked,"  are  neverthe- 
less stiff  in  the  back.  Such  quadrupeds  are  unpleasant  to  the  rider,  and 
are  unable  to  turn  in  the  stall;  but  whenever  their  removal  becomes 
imperative,  they  are  backed  out  on  to  the  gangway,  and  then  turned 
toward  the  door.     A  stiffened  spine  can  be  no  recommendation,  but  it 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       279 

may  fairly  be  accepted  as  evidence  that  the  animal  has  either  been  over- 
weighted or  has,  in  its  time,  done  some  hard  work.  It  is  invariably 
detrimental  to  the  value ;  for,  the  vertebrae  being  the  base  of  the  anatom- 
ical body,  their  healthy  condition  is  of  the  greatest  possible  importance 
toward  even  an  approach  to  soundness. 

It  is  highly  improbable  that  an  animal  with  a  decided  rick  of  the  back 
should  find  admission  into  the  stables  of  any  respectable  dealer;  but 
there  are  numerous  places,  termed  Commission  Stables,  which  a  novice 
unacquainted  with  names  and  localities  may,  from  outward  appearances, 
easily  mistake  for  premises  of  the  purest  character.  Should  the  imaginary 
personage,  whose  conduct  the  author  has  supposed  to  be  the  subject  of 
remark,  have  entered  such  a  stable,  much  art  will  be  employed  to  per- 
suade him  to  leave  the  building.  If  the  gentleman  should  be  firm,  and, 
refuse  to  retire,  possibly  the  proprietor  may  be  seized  with  a  sudden  fancy 
to  show  another  horse;  but  any  trick  of  this  nature  will  be  readily  de- 
tected, and  the  fresh  animal,  though  subsequently  led  into  the  yard,  should 
never  be  looked  at. 


TORNING   IX   THE  STALL. 


A  horse  cannot  turn  in  the  stall  without  twisting  the  back.  Some 
animals,  however,  can  turn  quickly  in  one  direction,  whereas  a«  attempt 
to  flex  the  body  the  contrary  way  will  produce  the  acutest  anguish. 
Therefore,  when  the  groom  bids  the  horse  come  round,  the  gentleman 
should  observe  the  mode  in  which  the  act  is  accomplished.  Should  the 
quadruped's  head  be  turned  from  the  door,  such  a  fact  may  be  regarded 
as  suspicious ;  for  grooms  always  prefer  the  shortest  roads,  and  trivial 
matters,  where  horses  are  concerned,  often  lead  to  important  discoveries. 

The  diseases  of  the  horse  are  not  yet  thoroughly  understood.  Man- 
kind have  acquired  a  habit  of  accepting  words,  without  insisting  that  the 


280       THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

ideas  such  terms  represent  shall  be  strictly  defined.  No  word  is  more 
common  in  the  mouths  of  horsemen  than  "jibbing."  It,  however, 
does  not  specially  imply  one  act ;  for  there  are  many  kinds  of  behavior 
which  are  designated  as  "jibbing."  Thus,  a  horse  which  is  unable  to 
start,  is  called  "a  jibber."  A  quadruped  which,  in  the  middle  of  a 
journey,  shall  be  suddenly  impelled  to  move  in  a  backward  direction, 
is  said  to  "jib."  The  animal  which,  upon  hearing  the  command  to 
proceed,  will  commence  throwing  up  its  head,  and,  spite  of  chastisement, 
shall  bear  in  the  opposite  direction,  is  also  supposed  to  have  learned 
the  "vice"  of  "jibbing." 

"Jibbing"  of  every  kind  appears  to  be  no  "vice,"  but  a  nervous  dis- 
order,— a  sort  of  equine  epilepsy.  A  word,  spoken  sharply,  can  summon 
the  attack,  which  generally  deprives  the  animal  of  all  power  of  motion, 
or  forces  it  to  move  in  a  direction  the  opposite  of  the  road  on  which  it 
wishes  to  proceed.  The  movements  are  independent  of  the  will ;  and  if 
any  person  will  attentively  inspect  the  countenance  of  the  horse,  when 
in  the  act  of  "jibbing,"  the  author  imagines  the  real  character  of  the 
supposed  "vice"  must  be  recognized.  When  "jibbing"  is  exhibited,  a 
spasmodic  fit  has  possession  of  the  frame.  It  is  useless  to  flog  or  to 
inflict  other  tortures.  The  attack  will  last  a  certain  time,  and  then, 
perhaps,  siiddenly  vanish.  No  brutality  can  shorten  its  duration,  though 
cruelty,  possibly,  may  lengthen  the  convulsion. 

On  such  occasions,  however,  various  cruelties  are  commonly  perpe- 
trated ;  but  severity  has  then  lost  its  power  to  quicken  timidity.  The 
lash  has  ceased  to  influence ;  while  the  human  voice,  though  sent  forth 
in  volume  and  exerted  in  the  bitterest  execration,  no  longer  is  invested 
with  the  attributes  of  authority.  The  body  is  acted  upon  by  a  power 
higher  than  mortal  sway.  The  creature  is  then  carried  by  disease  above 
tiiis  world's  malice.  The  whip  or  the  signal  to  proceed  may  elicit  only 
a  staggering  motion,  or  a  backward  movement.  At  last  the  spell  is 
broken.  The  ability  to  guide  the  limbs  suddenly  is  regained :  but  the 
brain  is  congested  and  the  senses  confused.  The  creature,  upon  the 
first  partial  recovery,  may  exhibit  a  desire  to  bolt — may,  for  an  uncertain 
period,  be  all  but  unconscious.  Sometimes  it  will  recover  its  powers 
suddenly,  almost  as  though  its  previous  condition  had  been  assumed. 
On  other  occasions  it  may,  under  some  impulse,  tear  onward,  regardless 
of  the  road,  as  though  it  sought  to  fly  the  scene  of  its  late  suff'ering,  or 
endeavor  to  lose  the  agony  of  convulsion  in  the  rapidity  of  motion. 

The  probability  that  such  an  act  may  conclude  the  fit  of  jibbing, 
instructs  us  in  the  folly  of  adding  the  irritation  of  man's  cruelty  to  the 
pain  necessarily  accompanying  acute  disease.  Severity  can  only  lend 
violence  to  the  impulse  which  is  almost  certain  to  succeed  the  at  iack. 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES.' 


281 


It  may  endanger  the  life  of  t\\e  driver,  but  it  cannot  shorten  the  duration 
of  the  fit.  Eveiy  kind  of  brutality  has  been  speculated  in  without  effect. 
Such  treatment,  most  probably,  has  prolonged  insensibility;  for  noise, 
confusion,  or  agony  is  not  likely  to  be  sedative  to  the  nervous  system 
which  a  word  has  morbidly  excited.  Yet  such  practices  are  generally 
adopted.  Nay,  the  author  has  heard  of  a  professional  man  who,  re- 
siding near  London,  possessed  a  fine  animal  which  was  thus  afflicted. 


A  POPULAR  CURB  FOR  THE  IMAQINAKT  VICE  OF  "JIBBINQ, 


This  person  actually  had  some  straw  kindled  under  his  quadruped's 
body,  and,  to  quicken  what  he  called  "an  obstinate  vice,"  partially 
roasted  the  breathing  flesh  of  his  living  property  I  So  monstrous  an 
artifice  was  successful  on  the  first  occasion;  but,  upon  repetition,  it 
oeased  to  operate.  Such  a  custom  is  not  unusual  among  the  uneducated 
boors  of  distant  villages;  but  the  writer  had  hoped  that  no  vexation 
could  have  induced  an  individual,  possessing  the  most  distant  claim  upon 
the  name  of  gentleman,  to  adopt  so  inhuman  and  useless  a  resort. 

The  horse  is  a  gentle  creature ;  it  has  no  courage ;  it  can  display  no 
resolution.  Its  impulses  always  incline  it  to  flee  from  danger.  It  is 
made  up  of  alarms,  and  a  child's  puny  hand  may  guide  its  huge  strength. 
But  the  history  of  the  animal  supplies  too  many  instances  where  the 
perversity  of  mankind  has  mistaken  the  prompting  of  disease  for  the 
display  of  malice.     It  is  disgraceful  to  the  boasted  civilization  of  the 


2H2      THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES.' 


present  age  that,  while  knowledge  has  much  benefited  every  sphere  of 
human  legislation,  the  errors,  the  practices,  and  the  brutalities  of  the 
last  century  should  be  in  full  operation, — where  the  scant  necessities  of 
the  most  gentle,  the  most  submissive,  and  the  most  valuable  of  man's 
earthly  helpmates  are  concerned. 

Jibbing  is  most  common  among  harness  horses,  the  faces  of  which  are 
disguised  and  partially  concealed  by  the  blinkers.  Were  the  countenance 
exposed,  its  expression  could  hardly  be  misinterpreted  by  any  person 
who  cared  to  observe  its  indications.  But  nothing  can  obscure  the  com- 
prehension of  mankind  like  prejudice.  This  weapon  has  been  frequently 
employed  against  the  life  of  human  beings ;  but  animals,  to  this  hour, 
are  tortured  by  its  operation.  Could  the  countenance  of  a  horse,  when 
in  the  act  of  jibbing,  be  calmly  contemplated,  all  belief  in  "voluntary 
vice"  would  be  at  once  dispelled.     The  eye  is  strained  inward ;  the  teeth 

are  firmly  set;  the  nostrils  are  di- 
lated; the  breathing  is  spasmodic; 
and  the  muscles  are  rfgid. 

There  is,  however,  one  symptom 
which,  although  expressive  of  terror, 
agony,  or  faintness,  all  horsemen  are 
agreed  in  regarding  as  the  declara- 
tion of  a  "vicious  intention."  Such 
an  indication  is  the  backward  posi- 
tion of  the  ears,  or  the  laying  of  those 
organs  upon  the  animal's  neck.  The 
forward  carriage,  or  the  "pricking" 
of  those  members  is  recognized  as 
expressive  of  delight,  of  gayety,  or 
of  attention.  What,  then,  should 
the  backward  position  truthfully  sig- 
nify? What  ought  sense  to  imply, 
from  the  falling  of  a  part  the  upright 
bearing  of  which  is  interpreted  to  be 
the  sign  of  liveliness  ?  Yet,  how  many  tender-hearted  gentlemen,  abused 
by  the  prejudices  they  inherited,  will,  when  they  observe  the  ears  laid 
back,  unhesitatingly  cause  the  lash  to  sting  the  body  which,  probably, 
was  far  from  contemplating  mischief  I 

When  an  animal  is  thus  afflicted,  never  pursue  the  course  which  is 
usually  adopted.  All  noise  should  be  prevented ;  no  flurry  near  to  or 
about  the  creature  should  be  permitted.  Do  not  use  the  whip  or  jag 
the  reins :  relinquish  both.  Order  those  within  the  vehicle  immediately 
to  dismount.     Undo  the  bearing  rein :  loosen  the  harness.     If  possible, 


THE  COUNTENANCE  OP  A  HORSE    DUEINQ  A  FIT  OP 
JIBBING. 


THE    SO-CALLED     "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       283 

remove  the  quadruped  from  the  shafts.  Go  to  the  head :  speak  sooth- 
ingly; pat  and  caress  the  agitated  frame.  Procure  some  cold  water-, 
soak  a  thick  cloth  in  the  liquid,  and  lay  it  over  the  brain  and  upon  the 
eyes.  Sponge  out  the  mouth  and  nostril;  then  empty  the  vessel,  by 
dashing  the  remaining  fluid  into  the  animal's  face.  When  the  incapaci- 
tating stage  is  subsiding,  have  ready  two  powerful  men,  who,  placed  at 
the  head,  shall  prevent  the  disposition  to  bolt  from  being  indulged.  This 
done,  return  the  horse  to  the  stable.  Never  hazard  riding  behind  a 
creature  which  has  recently  been  afflicted  with  "equine  epilepsy." 

Such  an  animal  is  best  put  out  of  its  misery  at  once,  as  the  attempted 
remedy  occupies  too  much  time,  is  too  expensive,  and  is  far  too  uncer- 
tain in  its  result,  to  be  prudently  adopted.  However,  should  the  horse 
be  young,  it  may  be  kept  on  prepared  food  for  eighteen  months — not 
turned  out  to  grass ;  but  stabled,  properly  exercised,  and  fed  on  the  best, 
in  the  hope  that  nature  will,  with  maturity,  banish  the  disease.  Such 
persons,  however,  as  will  drive  a  jibber,  which  merely  exhibits  a  tardi- 
ness at  starting,  should  be  particular  never  to  have  the  coat  singed  or 
clipped ;  for  cold,  acting  upon  the  large  surface  of  exposed  integument, 
is  very  likely  to  provoke  an  attack.  The  horse,  when  brought  to  the 
door,  should  be  briskly  walked,  and  the  journey,  when  commenced,  should 
never  start  off  at  a  tearing  pace;  but  should  begin  most  gently,  and 
very  gradually  become  more  speedy.  Such  treatment,  with  carefully 
prepared  food,  plenty  of  old  beans,  bran  mashes  for  laxatives,  and  an 
occasional  tonic,  is  the  best  means  the  author  knows  of  to  render  the 
quadruped  ultimately  useful. 

The  power  of  kindness  is,  perhaps,  shown  most  strongly  in  the  case 
of  the  horse  thus  affected.  The  love  of  the  creature  for  the  individual 
who  is  fond  of  it,  is  not  well  or  truly  characterized  when  spoken  of  as 
affection :  it  is  something  more  than  such  a  general  term  can  represent : 
it  amounts  to  positive  devotion.  Even  when  the  fit  is  strongest,  and  all 
ordinary  sounds  are  lost  to  the  animal's  sense,  the  voice  of  the  person 
who  has  been  constantly  kind  will  evidently  be  responded  to.  His 
caresses  will  soothe  at  a  moment  when  the  most  potent  pangs  would  be 
powerless :  his  presence  will  restrain  the  wildness  which  naturally  en- 
sues upon  the  first  dawn  of  reviving  consciousness.  Whereas  he  who  is 
habitually  a  careless  or  a  harsh  master,  in  whose  hand  whip  and  reins 
are  equally  instruments  of  torture,  may,  only  by  his  appearance,  induce 
the  attack ;  and  his  foot  upon  the  vehicle  is  likely  to  generate  the  agita- 
tion which  shall  assuredly  bring  on  the  disease. 

But  the  man  who  would  win  the  love  of  his  steed,  and  is  fond  of  the 
animal,  should  be  a  frequent  visitor  to  its  abode.  That  simple  or  nega- 
tive quality  which  consists  in  the  absence  of  actual  cruelty,  will  answer 


284      THE     SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

no  end.  The  human  being,  thus  distinguished,  only  elicits  the  passive 
indifference  by  which  his  treatment  is  characterized.  It  is  feeling,  which 
even  in  animals,  responds  to  feeling.  The  horse  and  the  dog  love  those 
who  like  to  take  pains  with  them,  or  submit  to  trouble  for  their  sakes. 
The  two  animals  are  alike  in  this  respect.  How  fond  the  dog,  which 
may  for  years  have  slept  before  the  fire  and  grown  enormously  fat  upon 
the  plentiful  meals  supplied  by  an  indulgent  but  an  indifferent  master, — 
how  attached  the  animal  speedily  becomes  to  any  person  who,  though  a 
stranger,  will  devote  some  time  to  the  teaching  of  little  canine  tricks ! 
So  also  with  the  horse ;  the  best  way,  indeed  the  only  way,  to  win  the 
entire  love  of  this  creature,  is  to  expend  some  labor  in  brightening  its 
intelligence. 

To  return  to  the  matter  at  present  especially  under  consideration. 
The  jibbing  which  is  confined  to  a  delay  at  starting  may  be  annoying, 
but  it  is  seldom  dangerous.  The  animal  which  merely  moves  backward, 
when  commanded  to  proceed,  may  vex  the  driver,  but  the  malady,  being 
known,  its  consequences  can,  in  a  great  measure,  be  guarded  against. 
There  is,  however,  one  form  of  this  disease  which  renders  any  animal 
very,  far  from  a  safe  possession.  It  is,  where  the  horse  will  suddenly 
stand  still  in  the  middle  of  a  journey,  and  commence  backing.  The 
more  inopportune  the  place  for  such  an  exhibition,  the  more  likely  is  the 
visitation  to  be  brought  on.  A  crowded  thoroughfare  or  a  dangerous 
road, — any  incident  calculated  to  excite  or  to  alarm  the  steed,  will  as- 
suredly produce  a  display  of  the  worst  symptoms. 

A  medical  gentleman,  of  whose  acquaintance  the  author  is  justifiably 
proud, — and  whose  practice  laid  upon  the  western  coast, — one  evening, 
after  a  hard  day's  work,  which  had  tired  all  his  horses  and  fairly  knocked 
up  their  master,  was,  before  his  boots  were  pulled  off,  apprised  that  a 
wealthy  lady,  and  resident  eighteen  miles  distant  from  his  pharmacy, 
required  his  immediate  attendance.  There  was  no  choice  but  to  obey 
such  a  summons.  The  gentleman's  own  horses  he  could  not  think  of 
compelling  over  such  a  distance.  Therefore  the  place  was  scoured,  and 
at  last  an  individual  was  discovered  who  was  willing  to  lend,  for  a  con- 
sideration, "the  very  best  horse  in  the  whole  country."  The  doctor  was 
soon  mounted,  and  progressing  to  his  destination,  at  the  rate  of  twelve 
miles  an  hour.  The  distance  had  nearly  been  accomplished,  when  the 
road  ran  close  to  the  sea.  ,  It  was  in  fact  no  more  than  a  broad  ledge 
cut  in  the  side  of  a  precipitous  cHff.  This  spot  being  reached,  and  the 
heart  of  the  rider  made  glad  at  the  prospect  of  soon  accomplishing  his 
journey,  the  steed  suddenly  came  to  a  stand.  It  first  trembled  all  over. 
The  gentleman  endeavored  to  soothe  the  creature,  which  he  perceived 
was  suffering,  but  which  he  concluded  was  alarmed.     He  was  thus  en- 


THE     SO-OALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES. 


285 


gaged,  when  the  nag  commenced  to  back  toward  the  sea.  Whip  and 
spur  were  tried  to  no  purpose.  The  impulse  could  not  be  checked  or 
altered ;  and  the  writer's  friend,  perceiving  his  danger,  had  barely  time 
to  throw  himself  out  of  the  saddle,  when  the  horse  toppled  over  the  cliff, 
and  was  discovered  a  mangled  mass  on  the  following  morning. 


The  various  aspects  which  disease  can  assume,  of  course  are  multiform, 
and  unfortunately  these,  when  exhibited  by  the  horse,  are  all  exposed  to 
the  arbitrary  conclusions  of  prejudice.  Men  of  education  appear,  in  all 
that  concerns  the  stable,  to  passively  resign  their  intellects  into  the 
hands  of  the  groom,  and  to  be  swayed  by  the  hardihood  of  assertion,  or 
to  be  ruled  jpy  the  conjectures  of  selfishness.  Thus  the  declarations, of 
morbid  sensibility  are  accepted  and  spoken  of  as  the  antics  of  the 
"rankest  vice,"  "Jibbing"  has  been  punished  as  the  instigation  of 
malice ;  the  chastisement  has  been  inflicted  without  mercy,  and  has  con- 
tinued for  many  ages ;  but  cruelty  has  not  been  able  to  check  the  exhibi- 


286      THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

tion  of  disease.  The  symptom  is  to  this  hour  as  general  as  it  was  in 
previous  centuries.  It  still  delays  the  vehicle,  after  the  driver  is  ready 
to  start :  it  often  propels  the  wheels  in  a  contrary  direction  to  that  the 
coachmen  desire  they  should  travel :  it  commonly  stays  the  wayfarer, 
when  eager  to  conclude  his  journey.  At  the  door  of  the  mansion,  in 
the  public  street  and  on  the  high  road,  the  signs  of  the  malady  are  fre- 
quently to  be  witnessed. 

So  it  is  with  the  indications  of  various  disorders.  The  horses  of  the 
existing  race  of  proprietors  are,  for  a  life,  doomed  to  subsist  on  the  same 
substances :  four  or  five  times  a  day,  dried  grass,  oats,  and  a  few  beans 
are  placed  before  them :  some  have  chopped  straw,  and,  in  exceptional 
cases,  prepared  food;  but  that  being  only  allowed  for  the  last  meul  on 
Saturday  night,  does  not  interfere  with  the  monotony  of  diet.  Now,  a 
sameness  in  the  articles  consumed,  as  medical  men  now  recognize,  dis- 
orders the  digestion;  but  when  aided  by  a  want  of  exei'cise,  a  total 
absence  of  amusement,  and  an  impure  residence,  perhaps  no  better 
means  could  be  invented  to  derange  the  tenderest  radicles  of  being. 
The  sympathy  which  exists  between  the  stomach  and  the  skin  is  now 
so  universally  understood  that  it  will  generate  no  surprise  if  the  creat- 
ure, thus  housed,  imprisoned,  and  sustained,  should  be  occasionally 
troubled  with  an  obstinate  cutaneous  affection. 

Stabled  horses  often  are  the  victims  of  an  acutely  sensitive  condition 
of  the  integument.  Yet  the  possible  existence  of  such  a  state  is  never 
admitted  by  the  groom,  because  the  affection  is  unaccompanied  by  any 
outward  sign.  There  is  no  tenderness  displayed  when  the  hand  is  laid 
upon  the  body.  The  coat  looks  bloomingly.  The  scurf  is  not  devel- 
oped in  increased  quantity.  The  hair  does  not  prove  loose  or  fall  off. 
There  is  nothing  visible  for  ignorance  to  perceive.  The  animal  feeds 
well,  and  seems  in  the  highest  possible  condition.  The  groom  cannot, 
therefore,  believe  in  the  presence  of  disease.  Nevertheless,  the  quad- 
ruped may  acutely  suffer,  especially  during  the  spring  and  autumn.  It 
may  even,  by  the  irritation,  be  provoked  to  gnaw  large  patches  from  the 
sensitive  covering  of  the  body ;  but  the  more  common  form  of  the  dis- 
ease urges  the  poor  horse  to  destroy  the  heavy  rug  in  which  stable 
attendants  are  fond  of  wrapping  their  charges,  before  quitting  them  for 
the  night. 

"What  precise  form  the  irritation  assumes,  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain ; 
but  no  sooner  is  the  quadruped  clothed  up,  than  it  begins  ta»fidget.  Its 
legs  are  in  almost  perpetual  motion,  and  the  body  repeatedly  leans  with 
violence  against  the  trevise.  The  creature  is  evidently  uneasy,  and  the 
animal's  eye  watches  the  groom  until  that  individual,  having  finished 
his  work,  retires  to  the  consolation  of  the  adjacent  public  house. 


THE     SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES. 


287 


No  sooner  is  the  animal  certain  of  being  alone,  than  it  commences  to 
tear  off  the  hateful  clothing.  Large  portions  are  seized  between  the 
teeth,  and  these  are  rent  off  with  an  energy  which  borders  upon  mad- 
ness. Nor  is  the  mental  fever,  which  actuates  the  horse,  to  be  pacified, 
so  long  as  a  vestige  of  the  hated  envelope  remains  to  be  removed.  The 
passion  seems  to  be  very  engrossing  while  it  exists;  for,  during  the 
period,  anybody  may  enter  the  building,  and  even  approach  the  irritated 
quadruped,  without  his  presence  being  observed.  But,  the  feat  being 
ended,  the  creature  looks  around,  seems  to  recover  its  recognitions, 
nibbles  different  portions  of  its  coat,  licks  the  coolest  parts  of  its  manger, 
being  evidently  thirsty,  and  ultimately  lies  down,  apparently  well  satis- 
fied with  its  recent  performance. 


TEARING  THE  CLOTHINQ. 


The  recognized  remedy  for  such  a  condition  does  not  regard  the  mor- 
bid state  out  of  which  the  destruction  arises ;  but  it  consists  in  placing 
upon  the  back  of  the  horse  a  garment  which  shall  pain  the  lips,  tongue, 
palate  and  gums  when  it  is  grasped  by  the  teeth.  Cloths  of  such  a 
description  are  manufactured  of  coarse  horse-hair,  and  are  commonly 
kept  by  most  harness-makers,  so  general  is  their  adoption.  After  such 
a  fashion,  the  biting  impulse  may  be  sometimes  checked ;  but  there  are 
quadrupeds  which  seem  to  be  goaded  to  still  greater  violence  by  the 
device.  Other  animals,  though  the  cloth  of  hair  acts  as  a  preventive, 
become  restless,  and  evidently  pine  under  the  remedy:  their  appetite 
fails:  their  spirit  vanishes,  and  their  flesh  wastes:  nay,  the  author  has 
known  the  introduction  of  the  favorite  cure  to  be  followed  by  an  internal 
and  a  fatal  form  of  disease. 


288       THE    SO-CALLED    '^INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

Why  should  all  inhabitants  of  the  stable  be  subjected  to  a  sameness 
of  treatment  ?  Why  should  all  horses  be  expected  to  consume  the  same 
food:  to  eat  the  like  quantities  of  provender;  to  drink  a  particular 
amount  of  water,  and  to  be  clothed  in  uniform,  when  left  for  the  night  ? 
It  may  please  the  eye  of  the  groom  to  behold  the  animals  all  wrapped 
up  and  bedded  down  to  match,  as  he  quits  the  stable  for  the  night ;  yet, 
where  life  is  concerned,  something  stronger  should  regulate  arrangements 
than  the  gratification  of  a  servant's  prejudice. 

To  propitiate  the  inclinations  or  the  whims  of  a  retainer,  constituted 
no  part  of  the  motive  which  caused  the  stables  to  be  erected.  Such 
places  are  professedly  built /or  horses,  and  the  animals,  therefore,  should 
be  primarily  regarded.  Yet,  wherefore  oblige  a  quadruped  to  be  covered 
up  with  a  rug,  when  the  creature,  by  a  nightly  destruction  of  the  wrap- 
per, asserts  the  envelope  to  be  objectionable  ?  Why  compel  an  unwil- 
ling steed  to  endure  that  which  is  not  requisite  on  the  score  of  decency ; 
which  cannot  be  adopted  on  any  plea  of  appearance ;  and  which,  in  the 
most  emphatic  manner,  is  declared  not  pleasant  to  the  life  on  whose  body 
it  is  suspended  ? 

It  is  impossible  to  comprehend  that  the  groom  possesses  any  excess 
of  modesty  which  can  be  offended  at  the  notion  of  a  horse  sleeping 
naked  in  the  stall ;  and  if  the  absence  of  covering  is  agreeable  to  the 
party  which  is  principally  concerned,  it  seems  odd  a  reasonable  being 
should  insist  that  a  contrary  practice  shall  be  adopted.  Still,  persist 
these  individuals  certainly  do ;  and  even  carry  their  persistence  to  other 
particulars.  The  skins  of  the  equine  race  are  as  various  in  degrees  of 
sensibility  as  can  be  those  of  human  beings.  There  do  exist  many  men 
who,  for  pleasure,  first  soak  their  bodies  in  warm  baths,  and  subsequently 
polish  the  cuticle  with  the  hardest  possible  of  flesh  brushes.  Others  would 
only  be  gratified  were  they  daily  rubbed  down  with  brick  bats.  On  the 
contrary,  there  exist  individuals  on  whom  a 
ruck  in  the  finest  linen  will  inflict  a  discomfort 
which,  in  its  intensity,  almost  amounts  to  an 
agony. 

So  there  are  horse  possessing  hides  to  which 

may  be  applied  with  impunity  the  sharpest  and 

coarsest  of  curry-combs.     But  there  also  live 

many  animals  having  skins  to  which  the  oldest 

and  bluntest  of  those  antiquated  scratchers  will 

occasion  a  sensation  the  acuteness  of  which  is 

AN  EXCITED  HORSE'S  MOUTH.      testified  to  by  the  violence  of  resistance  with 

which  the  morning's  dressing  shall  be  accompanied.     Yet,  rather  than 

obey  the  hint  so  energetically  conveyed,  or  discard  the  employment  of 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       289 

anything  with  which  use  has  familiarized  them,  the  least  venturesome 
of  grooms  will  brave  daily  danger.  In  vain  does  the  irritated  quad- 
ruped writhe,  frisk,  stamp,  kick,  snap  and  bite,  under  the  infliction;  the 
servant  has  been  taught  that  a  curry-comb  is  an  instrument  to  be  applied 
to  the  skins  of  horses.  The  head  will  be  tied  up — the  leg-strap  em- 
ployed; nay,  the  hobbles  and  the  twitch  will  be  applied,  before  the 
lesson  he  has  learned  to  regard  in  his  youth  shall  be  discarded.  Such 
tools  of  the  lowest  routine  are  the  ignorant  in  everything  which  does 
not  involve  their  personal  gratifications. 

The  consequence  is,  that  because  the  animal,  while  being  dressed, 
cannot  forbear  biting  at  all  objects  which  are  near  to  it,  the  incisor  teeth 
rapidly  lose  the  cutting  edges,  and  become  rounded.  Such  a  shape  of 
the  nippers  used  to  be  viewed  as  indicative  of  crib  biting;  but  the  fal- 
lacy of  this  notion  having  been  exposed,  the  idea  is  generally  abandoned. 
Nevertheless,  an  animal  having  rounded  front  teeth  would  fare  badly  at 
an  equine  banquet  where  the  provender  had  to  be  cropped  from  the 
eai'th.  It  is,  therefore,  only  prudent  to  prevent  the  creature  from  spoil- 
ing its  mouth.  To  accomplish  this,  remove  the  curry-comb ;  for,  should 
it  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  stable,  the  chances  are  very  strongly 
against  the  groom's  favorite  tool  being  discarded.  Have  the  skin  dressed 


£plill!|pll|l|l!lfirlkuiiiiiiill!|^:C^-^^ 


A  H0B8E,  HAYINQ  A  8EN8ITITE  BKIN,  IS  DRESSED  BETWEEN  THE  FILLAB-REINS. 


with  a  penetrating  brush ;  or,  should  that  prove  too  sharp,  order  it  to 
be  groomed  very  gently  with  the  wisp  and  water  brush.  Animals 
possessed  of  extremely  sensitive  skins  generally  carry  very  fine  coats ; 
therefore  they  can  well  afford  to  dispense  with  very  much  labor  from 
their  stable  attendant. 

19 


290      THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

The  snapping  may,  from  long  indulgence,  have  become  confirmed  as 
a  habit.  In  that  case,  nevertheless,  ameliorate  the  dressing ;  but,  before 
the  groom  undertakes  the  cleansing  of  the  skin,  the  quadrupeds  should 
be  fixed  by  two  strong  pillar-reins,  each  of  which  is  of  sufficient  length 
to  reach,  from  opposite  sides,  to  the  middle  of  the  dressing  stall.  The 
head,  thus  bridled,  is  comparatively  fixed,  and  is,  of  course,  fastened 
away  from  any  substance  which  might  be  seized  by  the  teeth.  How- 
ever, the  skin  is  sometimes,  when  thus  tender,  loaded  with  a  scurf 
which  no  curry-comb,  however  long  it  may  be  applied,  will  do  aught 
but  increase.  In  this  case,  always  change  the  provender,  and  particu- 
larly see  the  food  is  properly  prepared  ere  it  is  presented.  Give,  daily, 
one  ounce  of  liquor  arsenicalis,  in  a  pint  of  cold  water ;  and  every  morn- 
ing damp  the  skin,  not  the  hair,  with  a  mixture  composed  of  animal 
glycerin,  one  part ;  rose-water,  two  parts. 

For  an  animal  that  destroyed  its  rugs,  the  first  measure  is,  to  refuse 
all  further  supply  of  such  articles.  Then  attend  to  the  food,  after  the 
method  already  advised ;  next  anoint  the  body  with  glycerin  and  rose- 
water,  subsequently  employing  a  hay  wisp  regularly  night  and  morning. 
Place  the  animal  in  a  cool,  loose  box,  and,  if  possible,  leave  both  window 
and  half  the  door  open.  When  night  arrives,  permit  the  quadruped,  at 
its  pleasure,  to  move  in  or  out  of  the  stable — allowing  a  piece  of  rather 
closely  bitten  meadow  land  for  exercise,  when  the  sun  is  down  and  the 
flies  are  at  rest.  Take  the  animal  in  before  insects  begin  to  throng, 
which  they  seldom  do  till  the  sun  has  gained  full  power.  By  way  of 
medicine,  daily  give  one  ounce  of  liquor  arsenicalis,  in  a  pint  of  cold 
water,  together  with  one  quart  of  good  (not  publican's)  beer.  Keep 
the  bowels  regular  with  bran  mashes  or  with  green  meat.  There  can 
be  no  necessity  why  all  labor  should  be  relinquished :  the  work,  how- 
ever, ought  not  to  be  excessive,  or  the  pace  too  exhausting ;  for  any 
extraordinary  exertion  is  apt  to  lead  to  excoriations  which  are,  in  their 
turn,  disposed  to  end  in  large  and  obstinate  sores,  when  the  skin  is  in 
an  irritable  condition. 

Every  part  of  the  horse  is  of  importance  to  the  owner :  the  teeth  are 
not  secondary  to  the  feet ;  the  legs  are  of  no  less  value  than  the  lungs ; 
and  the  skin  cannot  be  esteemed  more  lightly  than  the  eyes.  Indeed, 
every  rider  ought  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  appearances 
natural  to  the  healthy  eye  of  the  horse ;  for  a  shying  steed  will  effectu- 
ally destroy  the  pleasure  of  an  entire  day.  The  horseman  should  notice 
the  eyes  of  every  animal  he  intends  to  mount.  As  a  precaution,  such 
a  measure  is  imperative ;  for,  being  forewarned,  he  may  he  prepared  to 
encounter  the  danger  into  which  defective  vision  is  almost  certain  to 
lead  the  rider.     For  the  method  of  proceeding,  when  examining  the 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."       291 

eyes  of  a  horse,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  "  Illustrated  Horse  Doctor," 
(pp.  49  and  56,)  wherein  the  proper  plan  is  amply  detailed. 

The  reason  for  recommending  what  the  reader  may  regard  as  a  trouble- 
some acquisition  and  a  strange  knowledge  for  a  gentleman  to  bore  over, 
is,  because  those  livery  stable-keepers  who  let  horses  out  to  strangers, 
can  hardly  be  expected  to  maintain  a  very  valuable  stud  for  such  pur- 
poses. It  is  not  asserted  that  these  tradesmen  knowingly  send  out  very 
defective  animals ;  but  they  could  not,  perhaps,  in  the  way  of  business, 
warrant,  as  decidedly  sound,  any  inhabitant  of  their  stables.  The  eyes 
are  the  parts  which  generally  fail.  Exposed  to  a  tainted  atmosphere 
and  fixed  close  to  a  whitened  wall,  when  at  home;  wearing  blinkers 
unpleasantly  near  to  the  organs,  when  abroad;  while,  at  other  times, 
they  carry  a  saddle,  having  the  eye  exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  the 
sun, — it  is  not  a  subject  for  wonder  that  bodies  so  sensitively  endowed 
and  delicately  organized  should  become  diseased. 

Added  to  the  natural  results  of  such  causes  is  the  treatment  experi- 
enced from  brutal  and  ignorant  fellows,  whom  a  few  shillings  have 
invested  with  a  whip.  Such  persons  are  fond  of  slashing  the  horse 
over  the  head,  and  may  thus  produce  partial  opacity  of  the  cornea.  (See 
"Illustrated  Horse  Doctor,"  p.  46.)  The  effect  of  imperfect  vision  is  to 
create  alarm  in  a  highly  imaginative  but  an  excessively  timid  animal. 
Shying  is  the  consequence,  and  this  act  is  as  various  in  its  developments 
as  its  causes  may  be  numerous.  Probably  this  will  be  best  explained 
by  relating  a  circumstance  which,  a  few  years  ago,  occurred  to  a  friend 
of  the  author's. 

A  young  gentleman,  native  of  Ireland,  complained  one  street  was  so 
like  another,  that  though  he  should  live  a  thousand  years  in  London,  he 
should  still  see  nothing  of  the  town.  He  wished  to  view  the  suburbs 
to  ascertain  the  situation  of  the  metropolis ;  with  this  purpose  in  view, 
he,  one  afternoon,  hired  a  horse  at  a  West  End  livery  stables,  and  trotted 
upon  the  Uxbridge  Road.  Everything  went  pleasantly  till  steed  and 
rider  had  reached  Ealing  Common,  when,  there  being  nothing  in  view, 
the  gentleman  gave  the  quadruped  its  head,  and  allowed  it  to  proceed 
at  its  own  pace.  The  pair,  however,  had  only  gone  a  short  distance, 
when,  from  some  motive  not  recognizable  to  human  perception,  the 
creature  was  seized  with  a  violent  fit  of  "swerving;"  or,  in  other  words, 
it  suddenly  left  the  road,  and,  moving  sideways,  began  describing  a 
rather  wide  semicircle  upon  the  common,  which  was,  at  the  place, 
fortunately  smooth  and  level. 

But  Ealing  Common  appears  to  be  a  favorite  spot  with  laundresses, 
who  there  hang  out  their  wet  linen.  The  rider  was  dragged  under  one 
of  the  lines,  loaded  with  damp  clothes,  while  his  horse  pushed  against 


292       THE    SO-CALLED     "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

an  eldevly  washerwoman,  and,  spite  of  her  screams  and  resistance,  pro- 
peUed  ber  a  considerable  space.  The  gentleman,  almost  thrown  by  the 
unexpected  motion  of  his  nag,  and  half  smothered  by  the  wet  garments, 
which  clung  about  his  head,  was  wholly  at  a  loss  to  comprehend  the 
cause  of  the  female  screams,  rendered  yet  more  discordant  by  the  shrill 
cries  of  her  terrified  grandson. 


When,  however,  he  understood  everything,  a  donation  calmed  the 
agitation  of  the  female,  while,  hastening  to  a  roadside  inn,  he  found  a 
man  who  was  willing  to  take  the  horse  back  to  the  livery  stables.  The 
rider  returned  by  another  conveyance,  and  he  has  never  since  trusted 
himself  outside  an  unknown  animal. 

Swerving,  however,  is  no  more  than  a  mild  form  of  shying,  when  com- 
pared with  the  numerous  evils  which  result  from  defects  of  the  visual 
organs.  Every  possible  variety  of  eccentric  gait  is  not  to  be  imagined, 
much  less  is  it  to  be  described.  One  consequence  of  this  peculiarity, 
perhaps  the  worst  shape  it  can  assume,  is  bolting  or  running  away. 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES"       293 

When  a  horse  is  thus  impelled,  it  is,  as  was  Insisted  upon  in  the  "  Illus- 
trated Horse  Doctor,"  useless  to  tug  at  the  reins  or  to  slash  with  the 
whip.  Such  acts  may  aggravate  the  peril,  but  they  cannot  check  the 
movement,  which  originates  in  a  dread  that  lifts  its  victim  above  all 
earthly  restraints.  The  brain  is  then  excited  and  confused ;  the  pain, 
which  the  body  shall  fail  to  recognize,  nevertheless  may  prove  an  ad- 
ditional stimulant  to  the  wildness  that  approaches  near  to  positive 
despair. 

The  quadruped  is  not  to  blame.  It  has  been  guilty  of  no  fault.  Its 
behavior  may  displease  its  present  master;  but  the  horse  has  no  ability 
to  struggle  with  a  fear  which  was  generated  by  disease.  The  alarm  was 
the  offspring  of  a  cause  beyond  the  aid  of  medicine  and  removed  from 
the  help  of  surgery.  Such  an  animal,  however,  should  not  be  left  en- 
tirely to  its  fate;  for  "running  away"  is  apt  to  become  more  frequent 
upon  repetition.  The  eyes,  thus  afflicted,  should  be  covered  when  the 
quadruped  is  taken  abroad ;  for  it  is  safer  to  sit  behind  a  creature  which 
is  sightless,  than  one  which  is  possessed  only  of  a  dangerous  or  of  an 
imperfect  vision. 

Then,  to  explain  the  motives  for  that  forbearance  and  to  render  clear 
the  prudence  of  that  gentleness  which  the  reader  has  been  recommended 
to  practice.  Let  it  be  inquired,  can  pain  be  esteemed  a  corrective  of 
terror  ?  It  was  an  apprehension  of  suffering  which  created  the  alarm. 
To  render  such  a  dread  a  reality,  does  not  appear  to  be  the  readiest 
method  of  dispelling  the  feeling  which  has  been  generated  by  the  imagin- 
ary possibility  of  agony  being  encountered.  The  quickest  plan  by  which 
any  particular  sensation  can  be  destroyed,  certainly  is  to  excite  another 
emotion  that  is  the  opposite  of  the  one  we  are  desirous  should  be  dis- 
pelled. Then  awaken  an  assurance  of  security,  and,  of  course,  alarm  is 
annihilated.  It  may  not  be  a  popular  or  an  heroic  line  .of  treatment 
which  the  author  has  presumed  to  propose;  but,  assuredly,  the  safest 
way  to  destroy  a  fear  is  to  kindle  an  emotion  which  shall  be  antagonistic 
to  that  it  is  desirable  to  remove. 

Such  conduct,  however,  would  be  directly  opposite  to  what  is  at 
present  generally  exemplified  by  the  majority  of  mankind.  A  horse 
bolts,  or  it  runs  away,  and  the  act  is  hastily  concluded  to  originate  in 
a  "vicious  propensity"  which  the  animal  delights  in  indulging.  The 
creature  is  spoken  of  as  a  "bolter."  The  topmost  speed  and  the  blindest 
flight  is,  by  equestrians,  regarded  as  the  gratification  of  a  malicious  spirit, 
and,  thus  considered,  only  elicits  a  firm  resolution  to  subdue  its  exhibi- 
tion at  every  hazard.  The  reins  are  sawn  and  the  whip  is  plied,  until 
agony  has  driven  terror  to  madness,  and  some  awful  disaster  puts  a 
termination  to  the  unsightly  proceeding. 


294      THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

The  following  is  intended  to  be  an  accurate  representation  of  an  inci- 
dent which  the  author  witnessed,  some  years  ago,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Holhway.  In  the  issue,  however,  no  person  was  injured;  even  the 
horse  cGcaped  unharmed.  It  would  have  been. difficult  to  say  which  of 
the  principal  actors  was  the  most  frightened.  Probably  the  alarm  of 
each  was  as  great  as  it  was  possible  to  be ;  but  the  breakage  of  the  shafts, 
the  rupture  of  the  traces,  and  the  snapping  of  the  reins  mainly  secured 
the  immunity  of  all.  No  one,  having  seen  the  aspect  borne  by  the  event 
at  one  time,  could  have  foretold  how  it  was  to  terminate ;  assuredly  the 
fortunate  result  was  not  facilitated  by  the  gentleness  or  the  self-posses- 
sion of  the  driver.  That  person  did  his  best,  no  doubt  without  the 
intention  of  whipping  up  a  catastrophe :  he  acted  according  to  the  re- 
cognized rules ;  but  it  was  owing  to  the  reflection  such  a  scene  gave  rise 
to  that  the  author  was  led  to  recognize  the  folly  of  that  behavior  which 
is  generally  displayed  under  the  like  alarming  circurnstances. 


l?i|,ll!ll'iiiiill,l 


KUNNINQ   AWAY. 


'  Before  concluding  the  present  chapter,  the  reader  is  earnestly  coun- 
seled to  discard  the  many  foolish  tales  he  may  have  heard  about  the 
horse  being  naturally  a  "vicious  animal."  What  reward  is  reaped  from 
the  indulgence  of  the  creature's  imaginary  designs  ?  Death,  injury,  or 
disfigurement!  Such  consequences  might  ensue  upon  the  promptings 
of  insanity;  but  no  one,. however,  has  supposed  that  madness  instigated 
the  conduct  which  man  recognizes  as  "  vice  "  in  the  horse.  There  is,  in 
the  world's  opinions,  a  wide  distinction  separating  the  mad  horse  from 
the  "vicious  brute."     The  attributed  "vice"  is  certainly  not  recognized 


THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES."      295 

SpS  madness,  although  it  may  be  accompanied  by  the  temporary  absence 
of  consciousness.  The  vicious  acts  display  too  great  a  similarity  through- 
out the  entire  equine  race,  distributed  over  the  world,  to  be  reconciled 
with  the  presence  of  recognition ;  while  they  are  too  regular  in  their 
development  and  far  too  heedless  in  their  execution  to  accord  with  the 
promptings  of  any  wicked  disposition  which  would  be  dependent  upon 
individual  inclination. 

Then,  the  sameness  which  pervades  the  entire  group  of  supposed 
"equine  vices,"  cannot  be  reasonably  accounted  for  in  accordance  with 
the  popular  belief.  In  the  human  being,  each  example  of  a  vicious  dispo- 
sition is  conspicuous  for  adopting  an  independent  and  an  eccentric  course 
of  action,  though  it  occasionally  practices  imitation.  Can  animals  in- 
struct or  mimic  one  another?  Have  horses,  only,  the  power  to  com 
municate  "  vice  "  to  their  companions  ?  Can  they,  only,  teach  self-mutila- 
tion, and  learn  suicide  ?  That  is  not  to  be  credited.  But  will  the  reader, 
viewing  them  as  inferior  beings,  consider  the  conduct  of  all  as  regulated 
by  the  impulses  of  instinct,  generated  by  sudden  emotion  ?  Then, 
sameness  is  by  no  means  extraordinary.  Eating  is  in  man  an  instinctive 
act.  The  modes  of  preparing  food  are  various,  and  the  methods  of  its 
division  are  as  dissimilar  in  different  nations, — for  these  actions  are 
shaped  by  conviction  or  by  reason ;  but  the  manner  in  which  the  instinc- 
tive portion  of  the  act  is  performed,  the  way  in  which  the  sustenance 
is  masticated  and  is  swallowed,  though  in  some  degree  influenced  by 
refinement,  is  mainly  similar  in  all  regions,  and  in  every  race  of  human 
beings. 

To  run  away  from  danger  is  an  instinct  in  a  horse.  The  animal  does 
not  fly  from  battle,  only  because  man  has  deceived  it  into  a  faith  that  there 
is  no  danger  where  gunpowder  is  consumed.  Terror  renders  the  animal 
blind  and  unconscious.  It  has  no  more  power  to  check  the  last  effect 
than  it  has  ability  to  contend  against  the  first  consequence.  Pain  induces 
a  natural  desire  to  escape  from  the  cause  of  suff'ering.  Its  wish  may  be 
gratified  at  the  sacrifice  of  property ;  but  property  is  an  artificial  institu- 
tion, of  which  most  animals  have  hitherto  refused  recognition.  Same- 
ness of  cause  generally  induces  like  results.  Idleness  leads  to  mischief; 
satiety  promotes  waste ;  terror  generates  alarm ;  and  itching  provokes 
scratching.  These  acts  in  the  animal  may  be  imprudently  indulged; 
but  the  horse,  having  no  conception  of  a  future,  of  course  cannot  nicely 
calculate  probabilities.  Thus,  if  we  run  through  the  list  of  the  so-called 
"vices,"  each  will  admit  of  a  very  easy  and  of  a  remarkably  ready  solu- 
tion. 

Let  no  man,  therefore,  speak  of  a  "vicious  horse."  Let  no  reasona- 
ble being  so  far  forget  himself  as  to  attribute  design  as  a  motive  to  the 


296       THE    SO-CALLED    "INCAPACITATING    VICES." 

creature  which  nature  has  endowed  only  with  instinct.  Needless  torture, 
though  inflicted  on  a  brute,  rebounds  to  strike  humanity.  But  mankind 
have  not  yet  so  emerged  from  barbarism  as  to  have  entirely  lost  all  relish 
for  those  prejudices  which  justify  cruelty.  The  written  history  of  the 
world  is  the  sad  record  of  a  long  struggle  midst  blood  and  suffering. 
Only  of  late  years  have  men  dared  to  relax  the  laws,  and  only  recently 
have  they  sought  to  lessen  crime,  by  educating  the  debased  to  perceive 
the  beauty  of  goodness.  Might  not  a  similar  spirit,  applied  to  horses, 
diminish  the  number  and  lessen  the  fatality  of  equestrian  accidents  ?  At 
all  events,  such  a  suggestion  deserves  a  trial.  It  should  be  experimented 
with,  if  not  for  its  novelty,  because  it  proposes  the  adoption  of  behavior 
which  must  gratify  the  better  feelings  of  the  master,  and  because  it  holds 
forth  a  reasonable  prospect  of  decreasing  some  of  the  more  serious  evils 
by  which  human  life  is,  at  the  present  moment,  too  frequently  en- 
dangered. 

Before  joining  in  the  cry  against  equine  vice,  always  investigate  the 
act  which  is  adduced  to  justify  the  prejudice.  Do  this  quietly.  Look 
fairly  at  the  surrounding  circumstances,  and  think  how.  these  might  pos- 
sibly act  upon  a  timid  and  a  non-reasoning  creature.  Find  out  the 
cause,  if  possible ;  because,  by  so  doing,  you  will  best  serve  your  own 
interest.  Knowing  the  cause,  it  is  probable  you  may  eradicate  the  effect. 
But,  before  this  is  undertaken,  the  party  must  be  prepared  to  exercise  his 
utmost  patience ;  for  animals  are  slow  to  learn,  and  have  to  conquer  their 
terrors  before  they  can  exemplify  the  easiest  of  lessons.  Only,  once 
taught,  they  are  retentive  scholars;  and,  by  the  pride  they  evince  in 
their  acquirements,  reward  theii?  instructor. 

To  stimulate  the  proprietor  unto  that  course  of  conduct  which  is 
recommended  above,  it  surely  must  be  suflScient  to  remind  him  that  the 
opposite  method  has  been  long  as  it  has  been  most  perseveringly  tried. 
Severity,  however,  although  enthusiastically  exemplified,  notoriously  has 
only  imperiled  man,  without  in  any  way  amending  the  habits  of  the 
animal.  Therefore  the  reader  is  asked,  if  it  is  reasonable  to  continue 
the  proceeding  which,  having  been  largely  tested,  has  induced  nothing 
but  misfortune  ? 


CHAPTER  IX. 

STABLES  AS  THEY   SHOULD  BE. 

When  considering  this  subject,  tlie  writer  is  freed  from  all  restraints. 
He  has  to  describe  things  which  exist  only  in  his  own  imagination ;  not 
to  depict  any  object  which  has  been  embodied  as  a  reality,  or  which  has 
been  fancied  by  another  individual.  The  author,  however,  will  en- 
deavor to  picture  such  an  edifice  as  in  some  of  its  modifications  any 
one,  keeping  a  horse,  should  possess  ability  to  erect. 

To  some  persons  the  following  description  may  appear  so  grand  as  to 
border  on  the  ridiculous.  Compared  with  existing  buildings,  the 
author's  proposal,  no  doubt,  must  seem  to  be  of  unnecessary  dimensions. 
But  a  question  of  this  nature  is  decided,  not  by  what  it  seems  but  by 
that  which  it  actually  is.  Is  any  provision  hereafter  made,  that  health 
does  not  demand  ?  If  the  place  is  large,  so  are  the  animals  which  are 
to  be  harbored  within  its  walls.  What  is  unnecessary,  or  where  is  the 
article  which  is  useless  ?  As  to  the  accommodation  being  too  ample, 
what  would  a  Saxon  king  of  Britain  say,  could  he  be  resuscitated  and 
made  to  behold  the  palaces  which  her  present  Majesty  possesses  ?  Nay, 
what  would  a  workman  who  had  existed  during  the  reign  of  "glorious 
old  Harry"  exclaim,  could  he  contemplate  the  accommodations  which 
surround  his  descendants  of  the  modern  time  ? 

Stables,  as  they  now  exist,  are  tainted  with  all  the  evils  of  antiquity. 
Improvement  has  changed  the  homes  of  the  people,  and  has  even 
amended  the  prison  of  the  caged  songster ;  but  it  has  entirely  skipped 
over  the  jail  of  the  horse.  The  place  and  the  people  about  it  smack  of 
a  time  when  corruption  was  the  rule  and  filthiness  was  a  fashion.  The 
question  therefore  to  be  considered  is,  not  what  stables  are,  but  what 
they  should  be.  What  the  animal  requires  to  maintain  it  in  its  beauty, 
in  its  health,  and  in  its  usefulness,  is  that  which  we  now  wish  to  ascer- 
tain. All  the  world  has  witnessed  how  much  the  quadruped  can  endure, 
when  the  master  cares  not  for  its  comfort,  is  careless  about  its  health, 
and  does  not  study  the  requirements  of  its  nature. 

Bricks  and  mortar,  however  expensive  such  articles  may  be,  are  about 

(29n 


298         STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 

the  most  economical  purchases  which  the  horse  owner  can  invest  his 
cash  in.  It  is  folly  to  pay  large  sums  for  thew  and  muscle,  when  the 
place  in  which  such  properties  are  to  be  lodged  will  destroy  the  health 
and  undermine  the  strength  that  are  imperative  to  their  preservation. 
One  or  two  deaths  in  a  prime  stud  may  cost  more  dearly  than  would  the 
largest  of  the  proposed  buildings. 

The  money  which  shall  be  expended  upon  the  improved  stable  must 
not  be  viewed  as  cash  sunk  in  an  unremunerative  object,  but  as  a  sum 
invested  in  that  which  will  immediately  yield  an  exorbitant  interest.  It 
will  decrease  the  veterinary  surgeon's  bill ;  it  will  conserve  the  health 
and  prolong  the  usefulness  of  the  horse  ;  it  will  put  the  animal  in  better 
heart,  and  will  enable  the  proprietor  to  dispense  with  those  repeated 
purchases  which  now  occasion  the  horse  owner  to  stare  at  every  fresh 
steed  he  chances  to  meet,  and  to  inquire  "if  it  be  for  sale?" 

"When  we  wish  to  raise  any  erection,  we  should,  before  we  begin  to 
plan,  thoroughly  comprehend  the  purposes  which  the  new  edifice  is  to 
serve.  A  stable  is  not  the  home  of  a  horse,  in  the  same  sense  that  a 
house  is  the  home  of  a  human  being.  The  animal  has  not  one  room 
for  day  and  another  for  night.  It  cannot  retire  ;  it  must  remain  in  its 
compartment ;  and  it  becomes  the  author's  duty  to  point  out  what  is  im- 
perative to  render  the  limited  space  a  healthful  abode. 

In  the  first  place,  everything  like  a  stall  must  be  abohshed — the  uses 
of  such  abominations  being  supplied  by  loose  boxes.  Each  box  is  to  be 
eighteen  feet  square ;  of  these  there  are  to  be  six,  ranged  in  pairs ;  three 
upon  either  side  of  the  interior.  Every  box  shall  be  rendered  dry  and 
sweet  by  six  deep  gutters,  three  on  either  side;  and  all  emptying  into 
a  central  branch  drain,  which  discharges  its  contents  into  a  main  drain, 
running  through  the  length  of  the  entire  building. 

The  gutters  commence  eighteen  inches  from  the  side  divisions  of  the 
boxes ;  the  first  is  situated  three  feet  from  the  external  wall.  Six  feet 
divides  the  first  from  the  second  gutter ;  the  same  space  separates  the 
second  from  the  third  gutter,  which  is  removed  only  three  feet  from  the 
central  partition. 

The  flooring  or  pavement  between  the  gutters  is  arranged  in  gentle 
undulations,  like  the  walks  in  a  gentleman's  garden.  It  is  raised  three 
inches  higher  in  the  center  of  each  division  than  where  its  borders  term- 
inate in  the  gutter.  The  two  pieces  of  pavement  at  either  end  of  the 
box  begin  at  the  elevation  of  three  inches,  and  sink  to  the  level  of  the 
lowest  surface  as  they  approach  the  gutter.  Thus  every  portion  of  the 
pavement  will  incline  one  in  twelve,  a  fall  of  fully  sufficient  magnitude 
to  allow  of  the  speedy  disappearance  of  fluid,  which  is  always  ejected 
with  force  and  in  quantity.     The  gutters  all  terminate  in  "stink  traps," 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


299 


whicli  give  admission  into  the  branch  drains  ;  these  last,  as  well  as  the 
main  drain,  consisting  of  circular  earthen  pipes. 

The  undulations  of  the  pavement  not  only  facilitate  the  speedy  re 
moval  of  fluid,  and  thus  tend  to  keep  in  a  state  of  purity  the  atmosphere 


HOSES  OF  SIANSINO  AFFORDED  BY  AN  UNDULATED  PAVEMENT. 

within  the  building,  but  the  surface  presents  every  variety  of  standing 
ground  to  the  choice  of  the  quadruped.  The  animal,  by  this  arrange- 
ment, can  select  an  upward  slope,  a  downward  incline,  or  a  level  plane, 
whereon  to  rest  the  feet ;  an  ability  of  appropriation  which  intelligence 
will  not  be  slow  to  comprehend  or  tardy  to  appreciate. 


SIAOBAUATIC   SECTION  OF  A  SUPERFICIAL  OUTTEB,  BETERAL  OF  'WSICH  KEEP  DRY  THE  LOOSE  BOXES. 

1 1.  The  Dutch  clinkers. 

2  2.  The  prepared  ground  on  which  the  gutters  and  the  pavement  repose. 
3.  The  semicircular  earthenware  gutter  along  which  the  fluid  flows,  covered  by  the  loose  iron  grating. 

Each  gutter  should  be  two  inches  wide  and  two  inches  deep.  They 
ought  to  commence  at  the  depth  of  a  Dutch  clinker  from  the  surface, 
and  be  covered  by  a  perforated  loose  iron  grating,  the  holes  in  which  are 


800 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 


a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide,  one  inch  long,  and  the  last  distance  asunder. 
Thus  should  the  horse,  when  down,  lie  over  one  of  these  gutters,  the 
body  cannot  then  repose  on  a  good  conductor  of  heat. 

The  gratings  are  not  flat,  but  incline  on  every  side  toward  the  open- 
ings. This  pattern  was  selected,  because  the  author  has  beheld  flat  bars 
eaten  into  by  the  acridity  of  the  fluid,  and  retaining  liquid  that  yielded 
an  abominable  stench.     Neither  are  these  coverings  fixed  into  their  situ- 


PATTERN   OF   TUE   LOOSE   IRON    GRATING   •\VI1ICII   COVERS   THE   GUTTERS. 


ations.  They  are  merely  laid  upon  the  side?  of  the  earthen  gutters, 
which  are  three  inches  wide  at  the  openings;  the  iron  can  afford  to 
dispense  with  other  fastening  than  its  own  weight  supplies.  Should 
the  channel  which  the  grating  guards  ever  become  clogged,  then  the 
easy  lift  of  the  metal-work  will  allow  the  gutter  to  be  cleansed. 


CROSS   SEOTION  OF   THE   DRAINS  IN  LOOSE   BOXES. 

Supposed  to  be  seen  on  the  line  D  E,  in  the  plan  of  drains  to  be  shortly  introduced. 


tONQITUDINAL  SECTION  OF  THE  DRAINS  IN  LOOSE  BOXES. 

Supposed  to  be  viewed  on  the  line  E  F,  which  is  marked  on  the  plan  of  drai^. 

The  openings,  which  are  ample  to  permit  the  escape  of  all  liquid,  are 
purposely  made  small,  because  rats  and  other  vermin  too  frequently 
enter  stables  by  the  drains.  It  is  by  no  means  unusual  for  such  pests, 
where  they  are  numerous,  to  attack  and  gnaw  the  hoofs  of  living  ani- 
mals.    The  born  is  without  sensation;  therefore  it  can  be  gradually 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


301 


removed  without  the  horse  being  at  all  inconvenienced ;  but,  assuredly, 
the  proprietor  will  be  vexed  at  a  destruction  which  necessitates  the 
quadruped  should  be  idle  until  nature  has  repaired  the  loss  of  substance. 

The  branch  drains,  which  commence  at  twenty  inches  from  the  sur- 
face, can  be  only  entered  through  a  stink  trap ;  that  article  also  opposes 
an  obstacle  to  the  free  passage  of  vermin.  All  these  branches  terminate 
in  the  main  drain,  which,  where  the  tube  begins,  is  situated  thirty-four 
inches  within  the  soil,  and,  as  it  proceeds,  has  a  fall  of  about  one  foot  in 
fifteen  feet. 

Neither  the  pipes,  the  gutter,  nor  the  clinkers  are  placed  within  or 
rest  upon  unprepared  soil.  Such  may  be  the  usual  plan  after  which 
most  stables  are  now  built ;  for  the  drainage  of  these  places  does  not 
generally  extend  beneath  the  surface.  The  pavement  of  the  contem- 
plated stable,  however,  is  to  be  raised  two  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
ground  on  which  it  is  erected.  For  the  entire  space  which  the  structure 
will  occupy,  the  soil  is,  in  the  first  instance,  to  be  removed  to  the  depth 
of  one  foot.  After  the  foundations  have  been  properly  laid,  the  walls 
are  then  to  be  raised  till  they  are  built  up  two  feet  above  the  natural 
level  of  the  surrounding  surface. 

A  layer  of  large  flints  or  of  coarse  brick  rubbish  is  then  to  be  thrown 
in;  this  layer  is  to  be  two  feet  six  inches  in 
thickness.  Within  this,  the  main  and  the  branch 
drains  are  to  be  arranged,  though  the  principal 
drain  will  also  have,  toward  its  termination,  to 
be  sunk  into  the  earth.  The  remaining  six 
inches  is  to  be  filled  in  with  coarse  sand;  upon 
this  the  gutters  are  to  commence. 

The  gutters  are  two  inches  deep.  They  all 
originate  at  five  inches  from  the  upper  surface 
of  the  clinkers.  The  shallowest  has  a  fall  of 
fifteen  inches,  but  others  have  a  much  greater 
inclination,  as  all  empty  into  the  branch  drains  which  communicate  with 
the  main  drain.  This  last,  sinking  deeper  as  it  proceeds,  quits  the  build- 
ing at  a  depth  of  six  feet  six  inches  from  the  exterior  of  the  sand  within 
the  walls  of  the  stable. 

The  contemplated  structure  will  be  thus  thrice  drained.  First,  there 
will  be  the  deep  tubular  main  and  branch  drains ;  next,  there  is  the  sand 
and  brick  rubbish ;  while,  lastly,  there  is  the  surface  drainage  effected  by 
the  grated  gutters.  So  much  pains  have  been  consciously  bestowed 
upon  the  dryness  of  the  building,  because  nothing  will,  in  the  end,  prove 
more  detrimental  to  the  horse  than  confinement  in  a  damp  abode.  Not 
only  does  perfect  drainage  conserve  the  health  of  the  equine  inhabitants. 


ggsggg 
MWSDWD§ 

[iHilEjiir.'j 


DIAGRAM,  EXPLANATORY  OP  THE 
MANNER  IN  WHICH  THE  GROUND 
OF  THE  STABLE  IS  FORMED. 


302 


STABLES  AS  THET  SHOULD  BE. 


but  it  likewise  tends  to  preserve  the  bricks,  the  mortar,  and  the  expensive 
fittings  that  should  adorn  every  stable. 


PLAN  OF  DRAINS. 


S  indicates  the  position  of  a  trap  door,  which  leads  to  the  coal-cellar  under  the  gig-hoose. 

The  dotted  line,  connecting  the  two  letters  D  E,  represents  the  situation  of  the  supposed  section  of 
drains,  previously  introduced. 

The  dotted  line,  indicated  by  the  letters  E  F,  points  to  the  supposed  situation  of  the  cross  section  of 
drains,  which  has  likewise  been  exhibited. 

According  to  the  supposed  view,  which  forms  the  frontispiece  to  the 
present  volume,  there  is  a  free  but  covered  space,  twelve  feet  wide,  ex- 
tending all  round  the  building.  The  soil  of  this  free  space,  covered  ride 
or  ambulatory,  should  also  have  been  removed,  and  subsequently  have 
been  filled  up,  after  the  plan  already  described,  as  necessary  for  the  inte- 
rior of  the  stables.  It  need  not,  however,  be  paved  with  clinkers,  as 
sand  forms  a  better  ground  for  a  horse  to  exercise  upon  than  can  possibly 
be  made  with  the  hardest  of  known  bricks. 

The  roof,  having  sheltered  the  ride,  terminates  immediately  over  a 
metal  gutter.  This  gutter  ^communicates  with  five  pipes  upon  the  west- 
ern and  upon  the  eastern  sides,  with  two  pipes  upon  the  southern,  and 
with  three  upon  the  northern  aspects  of  the  building. 

The  roofing  of  the  ambulatory  is  upheld  by  thirty-one  posts,  each 
twelve  feet  high,  and  the  same  distance  apart.  Between  every  two  of 
these  posts,  on  all  sides  of  the  stable  save  the  front,  are  placed  smaller 
uprights,  which  reach  only  to  six  feet.  By  these  smaller  posts  are  sup- 
ported one  end  of  three  movable  bales  on  either  side,  the  opposite  extremi- 
ties of  the  bales  resting  against  the  larger  posts ;  each  bale  being  six  feet 
long,  and  reaching  from  the  small  uprights  to  the  main  supports.  The 
first  bale  is  one  foot  from  the  ground ;  while  the  others  are  at  equal  dis- 
tances, and  so  placed  as  to  leave  four  inches  of  clear  pole  to  project  above 
the  highest  rail. 

The  pipes  leading  from  the  metallic  gutter  are  fastened  to  the  pillars 
and  empty  into  a  drain,  which  encircles  the  building  and  receives  the 
water  from  the  roof;  it  also  conveys  away  that  which  is  used  in  washing 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE.         303 

the  carriages,  or  for  general  purposes.  This  is  carried  to  any  convenient 
pond,  while  the  liquid  manure  of  the  stable  is,  by  the  tubular  pipes, 
conveyed  into  a  tank  situated  at  least  twenty  yards  from  the  principal 
building. 

Drainage  of  the  entire  roof  is  thus  assured,  and  the  dryness  of  the 
ambulatory  in  all  weathers  is  rendered  a  certainty.  No  large  stable  can 
approximate  to  its  requirements,  in  which  a  covered  ride  is  not  provided. 
It  is,  however,  by  no  means  uncommon  to  behold  grooms  trotting  the 
animals  on  which  they  are  seated,  and  which  the  servant  is  supposed  to 
be  taking  out  for  the  morning  exercise ;  but  if  a  horse  is  to  be  mounted 
and  put  to  its  paces  by  the  man  as  well  as  by  the  master,  it  necessarily 
follows  that  the  quadruped  must  perform  double  duty,  or  endure  exces- 
sive wear. 

Many  grooms  habitually  do  more  than  merely  ride.  These  men  are, 
generally,  excited  when  in  the  saddle,  and  removed  from  all  chance  of 
supervision.  Some  of  these  individuals  delight  in  antics.  Most  stable 
attendants  love  to  display  the  spirit  of  the  quadrupeds  they  wait  upon  j 
and  stW  of  lively  dispositions,  when  their  companions  in  service  are  look- 
ing on,  naturally  strive  to  convert  duty  into  a  pleasure.  The  horse  is  his 
own  for  the  time,  the  animal  being  then  entirely  subject  to  the  servant's 
authority,  and  he  being  far  away  from  all  that  might  control  his  actions. 

An  anecdote  will,  perhaps,  best  illustrate  the  above  observations.  A 
medical  gentleman,  established  in  the  north  of  England,  possessed  a 
handsome  bay  gelding,  for  which  he  had  recently  given  a  heavy  price. 
Soon  after  the  groom  professed  to  have  brought  the  quadruped  into 
working  condition,  the  doctor  began  to  use  the  animal  for  his  afternoon 
exercise.  He  was  fond  of  a  particular  road ;  but  he  could  not  persuade 
his  horse  to  pass  a  certain  low,  roadside  tavern.  At  the  door  of  this 
place  the  quadruped  would  always  stand  still.  Punishment  was  of  no 
further  use  than  to  make  the  animal,  much  to  its  master's  disgust,  leave 
the  door  and  bolt  into  the  yard. 

There  was  nothing,  then,  to  be  done  but  to  turn  the  creature's  head 
homeward.  No  sooner  did  the  quadruped's  face  point  in  this  direction, 
than  the  steed  began  to  exhibit  a  speed  which  seemed  to  say  the  doctor 
was  riding  on  affair  of  life  or  death.  The  gelding,  in  consequence  of  the 
disgust  which  its  strange  proceedings  had  awakened,  was  shortly  after- 
ward sold  at  "an  awful  sacrifice;"  nor  does  the  medical  gentleman,  to 
this  hour,  comprehend  the  reason  of  his  dumb  servant's  eccentric  be- 
havior. 

The  public  house  was  famous  as  the  resort  of  grooms.  Here,  "  early 
purl "  was  prepared  in  perfection ;  while,  at  later  hours,  nothing  could 
excel  either  the  "neat  liquors"  or  the  "dog's  nose"  which  the  tavern 


304         STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 

provided.  The  horse  was  accustomed  to  stand  before  the  door;  or, 
during  those  days  when  the  doctor  might  walk  abroad,  the  animal  was 
concealed  within  the  yard.  Intelligence  had  learned  its  lesson,  and  its 
owner,  being  a  timid  rider,  wanted  the  resolution  necessary  to  force  his 
slave  to  receive  and  to  obey  a  new  itistruction. 

The  foregoing  anecdote  should  also  enforce  the  wisdom  of  masters 
making  some  further  acquaintance  with  their  living  property  than  sim- 
ply to  know  it  for  its  uses.  There  are,  however,  a  numerous  class  to 
whom  anecdotes  are  not  illustrations,  but  nothing  more  than  amusing 
stories,  easily  invented  and  readily  embellished.  With  these  people, 
nevertheless,  seeing  is  believing.  The  writer,  accordingly,  with  all 
humility,  invites  his  readers  to  peep  down  some  of  the  many  dealers' 
yards,  which  they  must  pass  during  -a  morning's  walk  through  the 
streets  of  London. 

One  side  of  such  a  place  is  always  thickly  littered  with  straw,  and 
securely  roofed  in.  Slowly  riding  up^  and  down  this  covered  way  may 
be  beheld  a  mounted  groom,  who  is  leading  another  horse.  Now,  horse 
dealers  are  not  deficient  in  knowingness,  and  many  of  them  have,  during 
former  years,  been  in  service  themselves.  Therefore,  most  of  the  class 
are  well  acquainted  with  the  secrets  of  domestics ;  and  they  never  trust 
a  steed  to  be  exercised  where  some  of  the  family  may  not  overlook  the 
groom.  "Oh,  yes,  they  do  I"  the  reader  may  exclaim;  "for  I  have 
often  remarked  'breaks'  being  driven  through  the  highways  of  the 
metropolis."  Perfectly  true  1  Such  articles  are  to  be  met  with  in  the 
middle  or  the  after-part  of  the  day,  propelled  by  high-actioned  and  well- 
matched  horses.  A  little  inspection  will  show  the  reins  are  in  the  pos- 
session of  no  ordinary  gi*oom.  The  master  or  the  foreman  guides  the 
quadrupeds  which  are  then  being  shown  to  the  public,  and  are  not  sim- 
ply raw  purchases  receiving  exercise. 

Dealers  always  exercise  the  horses  at  home;  the  windows  of  the 
house  invariably  face  the  ride.  Every  London  inhabitant  may  not  be 
able  to  command  a  covered  way  opposite  his.  drawing-room  windows ; 
but  he  may  prevent  his  servant  from  playing  tricks  with  his  animals,  by 
ordering  the  man,  when  out  exercising  the  creatures,  to  pass  the  family 
residence  at  stated  periods.  By  such  an  arrangement,  some  of  those 
strange  accidents,  which  occasionally  spoil  the  proprietor's  breakfast, 
and  which  are  ever  reported  to  him  as  having  been  done  by  the  horse 
in  the  night,  might  be  prevented.  While  the  owner,  by  claiming  a  right 
of  supervision,  would  also  instruct  his  servant  that  the  quadrupeds  the 
servant  is  engaged  to  attend  upon  are  not  absolutely  given  up  to  his 
pleasure. 

The  proprietor  will,  however,  gain  much  by  never  permitting  his 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


305 


animals  to  be  exercised  off  the  premises.  This  can  only  be  done  in  the 
country,  or  where  an  ambulatory  surrounds  the  stable.  Under  a  shel- 
tering  roof  all  weathers  are  immaterial ;  the  owner  can  easily  ascertain 
whether  his  commands  are  shirked  or  fulfilled.  A  sick  or  a  lame  horse 
can  be  led  about  upon  such  a  spot ;  for  the  soil,  consisting  of  sand,  ana 
being  always  kept  properly  watered,  is  cool  and  soft  to  the  feet,  as  well 
as  free  from  dust;  while  a  machine  called  a  "tell-tale"  will  in  some 
measure  announce  the  time  which  the  quadruped  may  be  kept  walking ; 
it  will  also  bear  testimony  as  to  the  rate  at  which   the  man  travels. 


A  PB£F  INTO  A  DIALER'S  TABD. 


These  things,  when  supervision  is  impossible,  are  now  left  entirely  to 
the  groom;  whereas  a  "tell-tale,"  fixed  at  any  part  of  the  buildmg,  will 
render  the  rate  of  exercise  cognizable  to  an  absent  master. 

Exercise  should  never,  save  in  illness,  be  given  at  a  less  pace  than 
four  mUes  an  hour ;  the  horses,  while  it  is  administered,  should  always 

2p 


306         STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 

be  clothed  more  lightly  than  when  standing  still  within  the  stable.  It 
is  fashionable  for  a  groom  to  exercise  a  horse  in  full  body-clothes :  such 
a  custom  seems  like  tempting  cough  and  cold,  to  which  the  quadruped, 
in  this  climate,  is  too  much  disposed.  It  must  feel  the  change  when  its 
owner  rides  forth  upon  its  unclothed  body,  and  must  suffer  severely, 
should  the  master  not  return  to  the  stable  till  the  sun  is  down.  Any 
active  man  should  with  perfect  ease  walk  four  miles  in  an  hour;  but 
such  a  rate  is  quick  enough  to  oblige  the  animal  to  proceed  at  a  gentle 
trot,  which  should  not  provoke  perspiration,  but  will  be  sufficient  exer- 
tion to  promote  a  healthy  glow  of  the  skin. 

Each  groom,  when  on  the  ambulatory,  should  walk  between  two 
horses,  holding  a  rein  in  either  hand.  Should  one  of  the  animals  show 
signs  of  excitement,  he  is  to  leave  the  quiet  one  behind  to  the  care  of 
any  person  who  may  be  at  hand,  and  to  run  once  or  twice  round  the 
building  with  the  spirited  steed.  Such  a  manoeuvre  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  quiet  those  creatures  which,  on  first  quitting  the  boxes,  may  skip 
or  prance  about. 

When  returned  to  the  stable,  the  horse  does  not  enter  solitary  confine- 
ment. Its  loose  box  is  eighteen  feet  square,  and  is  inclosed  by  a  fence 
seven  feet  high.  Only  four  feet  of  this  partition  is  composed  of  close 
inch  and  a  half  boarding.  At  that  height,  a  stout  rail,  having  its  edges 
rounded,  is  fixed  upon  the  topmost  edge  of  the  wood-work.  From  this 
rail  spring  round  iron  bars,  placed  three  inches  asunder,  and  having  the 
higher  extremity  inserted  into  another  rail,  which  is  also  rounded. 

Since  the  author,  many  years  ago,  first  thought  of  an  open  trevise,  he 
is  happy  to  see  the  idea  has  been  generally  adopted.  Too  many  of  the 
parties  who  embrace  the  notion,  however,  make  it  secondary  to  ornamen- 
tation, and  compel  the  simple  intention  to  assume  the  shape  of  scroll 
work  oj*  of  an  elaborated  pattern.  The  object  is  to  permit  the  prisoners 
to  see  and  to  communicate  one  with  another.  Both  of  these  purposes 
are  better  attained  by  a  straight  iron  bar  than  by  a  fanciful  decoration, 
which  last,  moreover,  must  be  further  objectionable  on  the  score  of  ex- 
pense. 

All  needful  security  would  be  well  assured  by  an  inclosure  which, 
unlike  the  common  trevise,  would  allow  the  quadruped  to  see  its  com- 
panions, and  to  exchange  those  recognitions  which  must  lighten  the 
tedium  of  captivity.  Nor  can  the  writer  comprehend  why  such  simple 
pleasures  should  be  denied  to  these  gentle  creatures,  which  most  men 
imprison  more  closely  than  carnivorous  ferocities  are  commonly  confined. 
The  prevention  of  certain  deadly  diseases  might  apply  to  the  stables  of 
an  inn ;  but  such  occurrences  have  no  right  to  be  regarded  as  probabili- 
ties when  a  gentleman's  establishment  has  to  be  considered. 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


SOY 


The  bars  forming  the  upper  portion  of  the  divisions  are  not  so  close 
nor  so  bulky  but  the  interspaces  will  allow  the  horses,  after  the  Austra- 
lian mode  of  cementing  friendships,  "  to  rub  noses,"  or  to  exchange  large 
draughts  of  fragrant  breath  with  their  fellow  captives.  Such  innocent 
familiarities  will  often  lead  to  lasting  friendships,  from  the  establishment 


SECTION  OF  THE  LOOSE  BOXES. 

Supposed  to  be  taken  where  the  dotted  line  A  B  is  sitnated  upon  the  ground  plan. 


of  which  the  proprietor  will  reap  an  advantage.  Quadrupeds  perform 
much  more  gayly  when  harnessed  with  a  companion  that  they  love ;  and 
should  the  owner  be,  at  any  time,  pressed  for  room,  one  or  two  additional 
spare  boxes  can  always  be  commanded  by  allowing  equine  friends  to 
enjoy  the  same  compartment. 

There  is,  however,  running  throughout  society,  a  strange  prejudice 
against  permitting  any  communication  between  the  inhabitants  of  the 
stable.  Such  a  dislike  cannot  be  justified  by  appealing  to  nature,  as 
horses,  when  free  to  exercise  a  choice,  always  congregate  in  herds. 
Neither  is  it  warranted  by  universal  custom.  In  cavalry  stables,  the 
quadrupeds  are  merely  separated  by  bales,  or  by  poles  suspended  at 
either  extremity  by  chains,  and  hanging  between  the  animals.  The  habit 
also  does  not  gain  any  support  from  consistency  of  conduct ;  since  the 
gentleman  who  shall  shudder  at  the  possibility  of  any  communion  in  his 
stable,  will,  nevertheless,  allow  numerous  equine  creatures  to  assemble 
together,  and  leave  them  without  check,  when  he  turns  his  stud  into  the 
field  to  be  "freshened  up"  by  a  "run  at  grass." 

The  boxes  have  each  a  distinct  entrance.  The  doors  are  fixed  in  the 
wall,  and  open  upon  the  ambulatory.  Each  entrance  is  nine  feet  high 
and  six  feet  six  inches  wide,  all  sharp  edges  and  projecting  iron-work,  as 
hinges,  latches,  locks,  etc.,  being  strictly  forbidden.  Such  things  often 
injure  animals  while  in  the  act  of  passing  through  these  openings,  and 
should  never  be  permitted  to  project  in  any  well-managed  establishment. 

The  folding  doors,  are  divided  into  two  parts,  though  not  absolutely 
in  the  center,  since  the  lower  portion  extends  only  four  feet  from  the 
ground.     The  upper  part  can  be  thrown  wide,  without  releasing  the 


SOS 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 


quadruped.  Th?  ventilation  is  thereby  rendered  far  purer,  while  the 
captivb  is  indulged  with  a  more  animated  view  than  the  walls  of  the 
interioi  can  afford.  The  quadrupeds  will  protrude  their  heads  through 
such  spaces,  and  remain  in  that  position  for  successive  hours,  looking 
the  pictures  of  mild  contentment,  and  contemplating  liberty,  which  a 
generous  nature  appears  to  have  relinquished  almost  without  regret.  A 
simple  creature  may  here  in  shade  enjoy  the  summer  breeze,  as  it  blows 
aside  the  forelock ;  for  if  man  is,  by  his  position,  forced  to  confine  the 
steed,  he  is  not  compelled  to  aggravate  the  sufferings  which  necessarily 
attend  the  condition  of  captivity. 


A  HORSE  LOOKINQ  THROUGH  THE  HALF-OPENED  STABLE  DOOR. 


The  doorway,  being  of  those  dimensions  which  have  been  already 
described,  should  afford  all  necessary  security,  especially  when  the  groom 
adopts  the  proper  method  of  conducting  an  animal  through  the  ample 
space. 

No  possible  accident  should  impress  the  memory  of  the, captive  with 
the  notion  that  doors  and  anguish  are  associated  one  with  the  other. 
The  habit  of  the  animal,  being  accustomed  to  advance  the  head  through 
the  upper  space,  would,  moreover,  be  of  some  service  in  dispelling  all 
idea  of  pain,  should  the  impression  have  been  received  prior  to  the  horse 
coming  into  the  possession  of  its  present  owner.     The  sight  also  of  the 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


309 


man,  to  whom  the  affectionate  creature  may  be  attached,  would,  more- 
over, attract  the  notice  and  inspire  the  confidence  of  timi4ity. 


COMSUCTINQ  THE  HORSB  THSOUGH  AN  ORDUfARJ   STABLE  DOOB. 


The  lower  division  of  the  door  should,  on  fine  nights,  after  dusk,  be 
opened,  that  the  prisoner  may  stretch  its  Umbs  and  bathe  its  hoof  in  the 
evening  dew.  So  the  grass  is  kept  sufficiently  short,  not  to  afford  more 
than  a  nibble,  no  harm,  but  much  good,  will  arise  from  sanctioning  so 
innocent  a  luxury  as  a  stroll  in  the  free  air.  The  eye  of  the  horse  fits 
the  creature  to  roam  by  night;  and  man  should,  by  this  time,  have  suf- 
fered enough  to  cause  a  doubt  as  to  the  wisdom  of  crossing  nature  in 
her  many  wonderful  provisions  for  the  welfare  of  her  children. 

Such  a  suggestion  may  startle  the  prejudices  which  are  inherent  in  the 
proprietors  of  most  training  stables.  These  places  are,  however,  chiefly 
situated  on  the  open  downs,  where  ground  is  cheap,  and  the  herbage 
Scarcely  affords  a  bite  for  the  close-feeding  sheep.  Half  an  acre  of  such 
land  could,  without  much  expense,  be  attached  to  each  box.     On  to  this 


31\)  STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 

the  i'.ock  might  be  turned  by  day ;  but  so  much  Uberty  could  be  afiforded 
the  equine  captive  during  the  night.  The  racer  being  reared  for  speed, 
it  is  surely  wrong  to  cramp  its  limbs  by  too  stringent  a  confinement  I 

Something  also  is  attained,  beneficial  to  other  parties  than  the  quad- 
rupeds, by  having  the  doors  of  the  boxes  to  open  on  the  ambulatory. 
The  necessity  for  mounting  many  animals  within  the  stables  would 
thereby  be  avoided ;  while  the  groom,  upon  rainy  days,  need  not  exert  a 
dangerous  haste,  for  fear  of  wetting  his  best  livery.  Hurry  is  never  a 
safe  emotion,  when  exhibited  within  the  stable.  The  inhabitants,  when 
they  behold  their  attendant  looking  vexed,  see  him  move  quickly,  and 
hear  him  speak  loudly,  from  such  signs  infer  danger ;  or  timidity  flushes 
with  a  certainty  of  his  displeasure.  It  is  the  fault  of  the  present  race 
of  stable-men,  that  they  regard  the  horse  as  a  senseless  thing ;  whereas 
the  dumb  are  always  the  observant,  and,  generally,  are  very  sympa- 
thetic. They  draw  conclusions  from  scenes  and  acts  which  it  may  be 
beyond  their  stretch  of  reason  to  accurately  comprehend.  Being  liable 
to  misconstrue,  the  less  they  see  of  exciting  spectacles  the  better. 

Within  the  loose  box  there  is  no  rack  for  hay,  to  strain  the  horses' 
necks,  and  shake  seeds  into  their  eyes,  which  must  be  open  to  direct  the 
teeth.  The  ordinary  manger  is  also  absent.  The  horse  does  not  sit  to 
eat,  nor  can  it  lift  the  food  to  the  mouth ;  but  naturally  it  lowers  the 
head  to  its  gratification,  and  thus  has  no  need  to  be  accommodated  with 
exalted  fixtures.  As  it  can  with  ease  feed  off  the  ground,  why  should 
man,  in  the  nineteenth  century,  persist  in  forcing  the  animal,  which  he 
domesticates,  to  forego  the  habits  which  nature  has  engrafted  on  ex- 
istence ? 

No  rope  fastens  an  animal  directly  under  the  opening  to  a  dirty  hay- 
loft. No  puffs  of  cold  wind,  therefore,  can  blow  upon  the  quadruped 
through  such  an  aperture,  which  is  not  a  loss,  for  horses  are  very  sus- 
ceptible to  colds,  which  modern  stables  are  ingeniously  arranged  to 
encourage.  Like  all  life,  when  hotly  and  impurely  inclosed,  the  steeds 
become  morbidly  delicate:  the  pampered  daughters  of  the  wealthy 
cannot,  possibly,  be  more  vulnerable  to  evil  influences  than  are  those 
equine  slaves,  whose  service  demands  a  body  vigorous  with  health, 
strong  and  able  to  encounter  all  the  seasons  in  their  vicissitudes. 

There  are,  within  the  building,  three  small  compartments,  placed 
against  the  outer  wall  of  each  box,  and  resting  upon  the  ground.  Two 
are  situated  on  one  side  of  the  entrance,  the  third  stands  by  itself  in  the 
opposite  corner.  All  project  eighteen  inches  from  the  wall,  and  two  are 
eighteen  inches  high.  One  compartment  is  used  for  water,  and  is  raised 
two  feet,  being,  as  regards  length,  of  the  same  dimensions.  One  is  in- 
tended to  hold  prepared  food — this  is  three  feet  long;  while  that  meant 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


311 


to  receive  the  occasional  allowance  of  grass  extends  one  foot  beyond  the 
last  dimension.  The  bottoms  of  the  food  receptacles  are  both  raised  six 
inches  from  the  level  of  the  stable ;  an  arrangement  which  hopes  to  an- 
ticipate any  strain  upon  the  muscles  of  the  neck,  should  the  animal  be 
more  than  usually  compact  in  its  developments. 

Certain  horse  proprietors  are  loud  in  their  commendations  of  cut  food, 
which  they  assert  can  be  eaten  quickly,  and,  therefore,  allows  so  much 
longer  a  period  for  resting  the  body.  Stable  condiments  also  are  adver- 
tised as  fattening  and  appetizing  adjuncts.  To  both  propositions  the 
author  must  object.  The  body's  rest  depends  not  upon  the  quickness 
with  which  the  contents  of  the  manger  can  be  swallowed,  but  upon  the 
ease  with  which  they  can  be  digested,  after  sustenance  has  entered  the 
stomach.  The  last  function  is  not  facilitated  by  the  provender  being 
bolted ;  nor  does  it  at  all  depend  on  the  shortness  of  the  period  in  which 
a  certain  quantity  of  victuals  can  be  put  out  ^  of  sight.  As  to  those 
stimulants  which  are  supposed  to  increase  the  appetite  and  to  favor  the 
accumulation  of  fat,  carters  having,  for  ages,  been  condemned  because 
they  resorted  to  such  nostrums,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  the  reason 
why  these  things  are  patronized,  when  openly  compounded,  puffed,  and 
sold  by  advertising  tradesmen. 


T 


SECTIONS  OF  THE  SHOOT  LEADIN8  TO  THE  FEEDING  TROUGH. 

a.  The  movable  or  eliding  shutter,  which,  by  a  slanting  surface  made  within  the  substance  of  the  wall, 
leads  to  the  corn  trough  that  is  situated  on  the  ground. 

6.  The  sliding  shutter  let  into  the  wall,  the  lower  compartment  of  which  alone  admits  of  an  upward 
motion. 
c.  The  corn  trough  and  slanting  surface,  guarded  by  the  shutter,  as  seen  from  above. 


The  capacity  for  rest,  moreover,  depends  upon  the  constitutional 
necessities  of  the  body  which  is  to  enjoy  it.  The  horse  is  a  creature  of 
activity.  It  sleeps  lightly,  and  is  fitted  to  eat  its  food  as  it  walks.  The 
quadruped  requires  little  rest.  To  force  those  conditions,  necessary  for 
the  repose  of  weary  existence,  upon  wakeful  life,  such  as  silence,  soli- 
tude, and  darkness,  is  merely  to  increase  the  severity  of  that  imprison- 
ment which  every  English  animal  is  born  to  undergo.  It  is  torture,  and 
betrays  only  the  ignorance  of  those  by  whom  such  cruelty  is  practiced. .  - 


312 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 


The  receptacle  for  the  prepared  food  can,  by  means  of  a  shding  aper- 
ture inserted  into  the  wall,  be  filled  from  without :  thus  the  necessity  for 
a  groom  entering  the  compartment  of  a  restless  or  ravenous  quadruped, 
whenever  the  animal  is  fed,  may  be  avoided.  Contention  between  the 
man  and  a  voracious  horse  can  be,  by  this  arrangement,  rendered  an  im- 
possibility ;  and  it  is  a  great  point  in  the  conduct  of  a  stable  to  keep  the 
attendants  in  good  humor.  Ignorant  servants,  when  enraged,  are  too 
much  disposed  to  vent  their  bad  temper  upon  any  inferior  over  which 
they  may  be  invested  with  authority. 


ONE   OF   THE   BOXES   IN  WHICH   THE  FOOD   13   PLACED,  THE   BETTER  TO   SHOOT  IT  INTO   THE 
CORN  TROUGH, 

Moreover,  a  great  deal  of  the  excitement  generally  displayed  by  par- 
ticular animals,  where  every  prisoner  can  witness  the  distribution  of  the 
food  to  the  rest,  is,  by  the  above  plan,  entirely  abolished;  and  every 
observant  stable  attendant  well  knows  how  greatly  quietude  favors  a 
speedy  attainment  of,  as  well  as  tends  to,  the  preservation  of  condition. 


A  GROOM   SHOOTING  FOOD  IN   THE  TROUGH,  WHILE  STANDING  OUTSIDE  THE  STABLE. 


By  means  of  the  box  and  the  sliding  shutter,  the  food  may  be  served  to 
all  almost  as  rapidly  as  a  man  can  walk.  The  provender  is  first  divided 
into  portions,  and  these  are  put  into  open  boxes,  which  are  placed  upon 
a  barrow.     One  of  these  boxes  the  man  empties  through  each  shoot, 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


313 


and  then,  having  washed  out  the  utensil  at  the  pump  under  the  covered 
way,  returns  it  to  the  provender-house.  This  last  plan,  however,  en- 
tails some  trouble;  therefore  only  in  exceptional  cases  should  it  be 
adopted. 

As  to  the  supply  of  liquid,  some  arrangement  is  also  needed :  the 
bottom  of  the  water  trough  is  level  with  the  surrounding  pavement. 
The  supply  pipe  is  commanded  by  a  tap,  and  all  the  receptacles  can  be 
simultaneously  filled  by  means  of  the  tube  that  rises  above  the  superior 
margin  of  the  trough.  Below  the  earth  is  a  conduit,  which  conveys 
away  the  superabundant  liquid.  Into  this  tube  or  drain  two  smaller 
pipes  empty,  both  of  which  arise  from  the  interior  of  the  receptacle. 
The  smallest  pipe  reaches  almost  to  the  topmost  edge  of  the  compart- 
ment, and  is  simply  intended  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  an  overflow. 
The  other  and  the  larger  tube  is  inserted  into  the  bottom  of  the  trough, 
and  the  removal  of  a  plug,  which  commands  the  entrance,  permits  the 
contents  of  the  trough  to  flow  through  this  pipe  into  the  larger  conduit 
below,  which  empties  its  contents  into  the  main  tubular  drain.  By 
turning  on  the  supply,  which  is  derived  from  a  cistern  to  be  hereafter 
mentioned,  and  by  also  opening  the  waste  pipes,  all  the  troughs  can  at 
any  time  be  quickly  cleansed. 


LONGITUDINAL  SECTION   OF  THE  WATER  SUPPLY. 


The  cistern  is  situated  in  the  boiler-house,  and  is  elevated  several  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  stable.  The  boiler-house  adjoins  the  boxes,  and 
from  the  raised  cistern  springs  the  supply  pipe,  which  is  carried  under 
ground  through  the  stables.  Water,  however,  will  always  rise  to  its 
jijown  level ;  this  property  convinces  us  that  the  troughs  will  be  speedily 
filled  whenever  the  taps  are  turned.  The  taps  by  which  the  flow  is 
commanded  are  both  placed  in  the  first  box,  and  by  this  arrangement 
the  animal  can  receive  fresh  water  four  times  daily,  without  fluid  being 
carried  to  the  horse.  The  contents  of  the  customary  pails  are  too  fre- 
quently spilt  by  careless  grooms.  The  horse  naturally  thrives  best  in  a 
dry  abode.  Besides,  the  drink,  as  in  nature,  is  always  before  the  creat- 
ure ;  for  if  presented  only  at  stated  periods,  the  draught  may  be  offered 
when  desire  does  not  require  liquids ;  or  it  may  be  withheld  when  thirst 
is  so  powerful  as  to  engender  a  disinclination  for  solid  nourishment 


314 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 


Moreover,  servants  are  not  always  attentive  to  their  monotonous  duties ; 
and  the  animal,  in  consequence,  may  be  denied  a  necessary  supply  of 
fluid. 

The  water  troughs  are,  moreover,  recommended  by  further  reasons. 
Horses  are  blest  with  acute  senses ;  and  everybody  must  have  observed 
the  animal  blow  upon,  or  rather  smell,  fluid  before  it  partakes  of  the 
refreshment  which  it  needs.  The  stable  pails  generally  stand  about; 
such  things  are  exceedingly  handy;  and  we  need  not  be  surprised  if 
they  are  occasionally  used  for  other  than  for  cleanly  purposes.  The 
troughs,  being  fixed,  are  secured  to  one  service ;  the  pipes  emptying  into 
the  receptacles  prevent  the  purity  of  the  supply  from  being  tampered 
with.  The  above  advantages  are  also  associated  with  the  ascertained 
fact  that  the  horse,  with  water  constantly  before  it,  drinks  less  than  the 
animal  to  which  the  pail  is  brought  only  after  hours  of  enforced  absti- 
nence have  generated  a  raging  thirst. 

The  roof  of  the  proposed  stable  should  be  of  the  ordinary  description, 
or  should  slope  from  a  central  ridge  toward  the  outer  walls.  The  cen- 
tral compartment  is  eighteen  feet  from  the  walls;  it  is  twenty -two  feet 
from  the  level  of  the  interior ;  and  its  margins  rest  upon  walls  which  are 
raised  twelve  feet  high. 


PLAN   OF   KOOF. 


H.   A  trap  door  in  the  roof  of  the  ambulatory,  which  leads  to  the  entrance  of  the  loft  above  the 

sheltered  ground. 


A  plan  of  the  contemplated  roof  is  presented  to  the  notice  of  the 
reader,  who  will  perceive  it  consists  of  two  parts.  The  larger  portion 
is  gabled  at  each  extremity,  and  has  a  span  of  thirty-six  feet.     The 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE.         315 

smaller,  or  surrounding  division,  merely  protects  the  covered  ride  or 
ambulatory.  Where  the  two  inclines  meet,  are  hollows,  which  are  tech- 
nically spoken  of  as  "valleys."  The  water  within  these  valleys  is  con- 
veyed away  by  means  of  four  large  pipes,  two  on  either  side,  which  are 
let  into  the  outer  wall ;  while  the  rain,  which  flows  down  the  outer 
incline  of  the  smaller  division,  drains  into  a  metallic  gutter,  whence  it 
is  carried  away  by  fifteen  smaller  pipes. 

Over  the  center  of  the  larger  division  of  the  roof  is  placed  a  venti- 
lator. It  commences  twenty-one  feet  from  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
building,  and  it  extends,  on  either  side,  six  feet  from  the  center.  It  is 
thirty  feet  long,  and  its  sides  are  four  feet  high.  The  sides  are  composed 
of  four-feet  louvre  boards,  which,  being  set  in  working  frames,  can,  by 
means  of  lines  which  reach  to  the  ground,  be  opened  or  closed  as  the 
increased  temperature  calls  for  air  or  the  cold  demands  protection. 

The  ventilator  is  roofed  with  six-ounce  glass,  which  is  of  more  than 
a  sufficient  stoutness  to  resist  any  tempest  that  occurs  in  this  climate. 
The  central  ridge  of  the  ventilator  rises  twenty-eight  feet  from  the  pave- 
ment ;  and  it  is  laterally  supported  by  the  boarded  sides  which  have 
already  been  described.  The  roof  of  this  part  of  the  edifice  also  serves 
the  purposes  of  windows,  admitting  light  to  the  interior. 

Should  any  person  feel  disposed  to  complain  of  the  probable  cost 
likely  to  attend  this  last  provision,  let  such  person  remember  that  the 
first  oulay,  in  this  particular,  is  likely  to  be  the  last.  The  material  is, 
moreover,  cheaper  than  it  formerly  was ;  while  its  elevation  removes  it 
from  all  reasonable  chance  of  breakage.  The  rain  will  wash  the  outer 
portion,  while  the  position  of  the  interior  surface  will  present  the  accu- 
mulation of  much  soil ;  consequently  the  glass  will  be  spared  all  those 
accidents  which  too  frequently  disturb  the  peace  of  housekeepers  during 
the  cleansing  of  ordinary  windows. 

The  glass  is  designedly  placed  upon  the  roof,  as  when  stable  windows 
occupy  the  usual  situations,  they  are  generally  suffered  to  be  in  so  foul 
a  condition  as  almost  to  counteract  the  purpose  of  their  institution. 
Some  of  the  panes  are  commonly  broken ;  and  where  the  glass  is  absent, 
its  place  is  rudely  supplied  by  rags  or  by  paper,  while  the  window-ledge 
is  crowded  with  those  articles  which  it  is  desired  should  be  ready  to  the 
hand,  or  which  it  is  wished  to  store  snugly  away. 

When  a  stable  is  without  windows,  the  dark  house  encourages  a  lazy 
servant.  The  architect's  neglect  also  teaches  the  man  a  want  of  regard 
for  that  cleanliness  which  is  essential  to  the  well-being  of  the  horse. 
With  such  a  place,  the  absence  of  care  soon  becomes  an  unavoidable 
necessity,  which  the  cunning  of  ignorance  will  not  be  slow  to  perceive, 
and  to  act  upon,  as  being  a  justification  of  idleness.     Nothing  either  in 


316         STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 

or  about  the  stable  should  be  sanctioned  which  would  not  accord  with 
the  cleanliness  of  a  home  or  with  the  SM^eetness  of  a  dairy.  No  dust 
should  be  suffered  to  accumulate  in  holes  or  on  beams ;  while  the  animals 
are  taking  their  early  exercise,  the  flooring  ought  to  be  thoroughly  washed 
down  every  morning,  and  the  wood-work  should  be  scrubbed  once  every 
week. 

A  stable,  to  be  the  abode  of  health,  cannot  command  too  much  air. 
nor  can  it  possibly  admit  too  much  light.  The  interior,  however,  should 
not  be  whitewashed  in  accordance  with  the  general  fashion.  This  glar- 
ing absence  of  color  may,  at  first,  look  excessively  clean,  but  it  also 
exposes  the  smallest  neglect  of  purity,  which  cannot  always  be  present 
where  animals  are  lodged.  The  cheapness  of  the  wash  may  be  its 
recommendation  with  those  who  are  very  studious  of  economy ;  but,  in 
the  end,  it  proves  a  dear  substitute  for  a  better  covering,  as  a  white 
surface  causes  that  strain  upon  the  optic  nerve  which  renders  blindness 
a  common  malady  among  the  inhabitants  of  snowy  regions. 

Let  the  roof  and  walls  be  colored  with  a  green  which  is  made  by 
mixing  blue  and  yellow  together.  The  light  will,  by  the  green  tint,  be 
partially  absorbed,  while  the  eye  of  the  captive  will  be  soothed  by 
gazing  upon  the  hue  which  constitutes  the  livery  of  nature.  The  pig- 
ment should  not  be  purchased,  for  though  the  color  which  may  be 
bought  will  be  probably  brighter  than  any  made  at  home,  excessive 
brightness  is,  in  the  present  case,  no  advantage,  and  the  more  brilliant 
compound  is  dangerous,  because  it  may  consist  of  arsenic  combined  with 
copper.  Or  should  a  brighter  color  be  very  much  desired,  such  can 
now  be  obtained,  which  is  uncontaminated  with  any  preparation  of 
arsenic:  though,  probably,  at  a  greater  expense  than  that  which  is 
easily  made  by  mixing  together  damp  blue  and  powdered  yellow  ocher 
with  size  and  water. 

The  roof  is  slated ;  but  as  this  species  of  covering  is  always  very  hot 
in  summer  and  equally  cold  in  winter,  the  temperature  of  the  interior 
will,  in  some  measure,  be  less  liable  to  such  variations  if  the  spaces 
between  the  joists  are  filled  with  solid  plaster.  Over  the  last  material 
laths  are  nailed ;  and  the  surface  is  then  to  be  thinly  ceiled.  The  laths 
should,  however,  be  of  a  stouter  kind  than  those  which  are  generally 
employed;  the  reason  of  their  introduction  is  to  anticipate  the  possi- 
bility of  heavy  lumps  of  plaster  falling,  and  either  injuring  or  frightening 
the  horses. 

The  reader  will  now  accompany  the  author  to  the  back  of  the  imag- 
inary stable,  which  faces  the  north,  and  is  divided  from  the  last  loose 
box  by  a  stout  wall. 

The  northern  extremity  is  of  the  same  width  as  the  other  parts  of  the 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


31t 


building ;  it  extends  twelve  feet  beyond  the  last  loose  box.  Its  interior 
is  divided  into  three  rooms,  each  twelve  feet  square,  and  all  separated 
by  brick  walls.  Entrance  to  these  apartments  is  gained  through  three 
doors,  the  upper  parts  of  which,  being  glazed,  will  also  serve  the  purposes 
of  windows. 


ELEVATION  OP   THE  NORTHERN  END,  OR   BACK   OF   THE   STABLE. 


The  center  division  is  sacred  to  the  harness :  it  is  kept' warm  by  means 
which  will  be  hereafter  described.  The  trappings  of  the  horse  are  too 
perishable  and  too  costly  to  be  housed  within  the  stable.  Damp,  dust, 
and  ammoniacal  fumes  are  all  injurious  to  this  expensive  article.  Damp 
cannot  but  be  present  in  the  abode  of  animal  life ;  the  breath,  insensible 
perspiration,  evaporation  from  the  water-troughs,  washing  of  the  pave- 
ment, hoofs,  etc.  are  the  common  sources  of  the  supply.  The  dust  is 
occasioned  by  the  spreading  of  the  litter,  the  movement  of  the  grooms 
and  of  the  animals,  as  well  as  by  many  causes  of  motion,  which  can 
never  occur  without  sending  the  finer  particles  of  decaying  matter  fly- 
ing from  the  various  substances  which  are  strewn  about.  Ammoniacal 
fumes  are  also  generated  by  the  decomposition  of  the  equine  excretions ; 
however  carefully  the  interior  may  be  drained,  or  however  pure  the 
atmosphere  may  seem  to  human  sense,  this  gas  must  more  or  less  exist 
in  every  stable.  Such  taints,  besides  damaging  the  substances,  also 
necessitate  extra  cleansing;  though  moderate  attention  is  preservative 
in  its  nature,  anything  approaching  to  excessive  labor  not  only  destroys 
the  fresh  aspect  of  the  harness,  but  is  provocative  of  its  speedy  annihila- 
tion. 

Within  the  harness-room  all  the  clothes  (after  being  dried  and  aired) 
are  to  be  placed,  and  in  this  apartment  every  piece  of  harness  (subse- 
quent to  being  cleansed)  should  be  stored ;  it  is  there  hung  upon  appro- 
priate fixtures  and  kept  ready  for  instant  use,  being  protected  by  thick 
curtains,  which  are  made  to  fall  over  and  to  cover  the  several  pieces. 

On  the  left  of  the  spectator,  looking  toward  the  building,  is  another 
room,  which  acts  the  part  of  a  hay-loft.  Within  twelve  feet  square  is 
stored  all  the  provender  and  the  litter  immediately  required  for  the 


318         STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 

"horses.  The  space  may  appear  somewhat  limited  for  the  supply  of  six 
horses;  but  enough  for  present  use  can  be  housed,  and  grooms  are  not 
rendered  careful  by  the  contemplation  of  anything  like  a  superabundance. 
It  is  the  filthy  custom,  now  prevalent,  to  keep  the  food  of  a  cleanly  ani- 
mal in  a  loft  immediately  above  the  stalls  in  which  the  horses  are  con- 
fined. Thus  the  store-house  is  commonly  located  in  the  situation  which 
is  the  most  directly  exposed  to  the  volatile  or  the  heated  emanations  of 
the  stable.  Nor  is  this  the  only  source  of  contamination.  The  groom's 
living  and  sleeping  apartment  opens  by  a  door,  which  is  not  generally 
shut,  and  immediately  leads  to  the  equine  pantry. 

The  author  dare  not  further  pursue  this  topic.  The  fancy  of  the 
reader,  guided  by  the  above  facts,  can  readily  picture  everything  that 
could  be  written  about  the  fitness  of  provender  thus  housed,  for  pro- 
moting the  health  of  a  creature  remarkable  for  the  niceness  of  its  habits, 
the  acuteness  of  its  senses,  and  the  delicacy  of  its  tastes.  It  may  be 
forced  to  consume,  and  may,  at  length,  morbidly  "grow  fond  of  that  it 
feeds  upon;"  but  such  food  cannot  otherwise  than  undermine  the  health 
which  sustenance  should  promote. 

On  the  opposite  side  to  the  harness-room  is  another  compartment, 
which  is  used  as  a  tool-house.  There  are  various  items  employed  about 
a  stable  which  commonly  litter  the  space  inhabited  by  the  horses, — such 
as  brooms,  mops,  forks,  pails,  combs,  brushes,  leathers,  bandages,  etc. 
Everything  occasionally  used,  or  daily  employed,  either  on  the  animals 
or  for  the  vehicles,  is  deposited  in  the  tool-house.  For  such  articles 
as  come  under  the  denomination  of  lumber,  and  are  not  of  any  present 
or  probable  utility,  another  place  is  provided,  which  will  be  shortly 
alluded  to. 

By  thus  allotting  a  store  for  everything,  and  encouraging  habits  of 
regularity,  a  considerable  sum  is  saved,  while  the  comfort  of  the  grooms 
is  provided  for  by  every  article  being,  at  all  times,  to  be  readily  found. 
By  ordering  all  appliances  to  be  carried  back  when  no  longer  in  use, 
nothing  is  left  about  the  stable  to  litter  the  place,  or  be  damaged  by  the 
animals. 

Stable  implements,  in  the  hands  of  an  irate  groom,  have  proved  ter- 
rible weapons  of  offense.  A  horse  has  been  stabbed  with  a  fork ;  a  blow 
given  with  the  edge  of  a  pail  has  inflicted  a  fearful  gash.  The  forma- 
tion of  the  cranium  in  most  existing  stable  attendants  should  suggest 
the  prudence  of  not  allowing  temptation  to  be  too  convenient  to  such 
individuals  when  they  become  excited. 

Having  inspected  the  northern  extremity,  the  reader  will  now  be  kind 
enough  to  move,  in  imagination,  to  the  front  of  the  erection.  Before 
this  can  be  seen,  the  sides  and  northern  end  of  the  ambulatory,  or  cor- 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


319 


ered  ride,  will  have  been  observed ;  in  the  front  view,  the  intermediate 
posts  and  rails,  which  elsewhere  define  the  path,  are  absent.  The  floor 
of  the  ambulatory  being  raised  on  all  sides  two  feet  above  the  surface, 
from  the  level  of  the  front  there  extends,  for  twenty  feet,  a  sloping  pave- 
ment, which  gradually  reaches  the  surrounding  ground.  This  arrange- 
ment is  fully  illustrated  in  the  frontispiece  to  the  present  volume. 


ELEVATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  END,  OR  FRONT  OP  THE  STABLE. 

The  stable,  notwithstanding  the  last  provision,  is  not  supposed  to  be 
placed  on  a  marsh,  within  a  hollow,  or  even  upon  a  decided  level;  but, 
when  a  choice  is  possible,  it  should  be  located  upon  the  brow  of  a  hill. 
It  is  there  favorably  situated  for  the  dryness  of  the  interior  as  well  as 
for  the  action  of  the  drains. 

Having  defined  the  position  of  the  building,  the  author  will  now  con- 
sider the  last  engraving,  which  was  an  imaginary  front  view  of  the  sup- 
posititious building.  This  portion  of  the  erection  stands  before  the  loose 
boxes,  and,  like  the  back,  is  also  divided  into  three  compartments.  It 
is  separated  from  the  stables  by  a  stout  wall,  consequently  there  is  to 
the  interior  no  entrance  by  this  direction. 

The  comer  space  to  the  left  of  the  spectator,  who  is  supposed  to  stand 
in  front  of  the  edifice,  consists  of  one  room,  which  is  plastered,  ceiled, 
and  boarded — the  dimensions  being  by  breadth  twelve,  by  depth  eighteen 
feet.  The  entrance  is  guarded  by  a  pair  of  well-made  and  closely-fitting 
folding  doors.  The  interior  is  meant  to  serve  as  a  double 
coach-house.  The  place  is  made  as  comfortable  and  is 
kept  as  free  from  drafts  as  its  uses  will  permit. 

At  the  opposite  corner  exists  a  similar  but  smaller 
apartment.  »It  possesses  doors  like  the  first;  also,  it  is 
similarly  provided  with  such  things  as  ceiling,  plaster, 
and  boards,  which  are  not  customarily  to  be  seen  in  these 
places.  The  room  is  as  wide  as  the  coach-house,  but 
reaches  back  only  ten  feet ;  it  is  meant  to  serve  as  a  gig- 
house.  Beneath  the  flooring  is  the  coal-cellar,  and  which  is  gained  by  a 
trap  door  cut  in  the  floor  of  the  present  apartment.     Close  to  this  trap 


PLAN  OF  THE  COAL- 
CELLAR,  WHICH 
IS  IMMEDIATELY 
UNDER  THE  GIO- 
HOUSE. 


320  STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 

an  entrance  is  pierced  in  the  parting  wall ;  and  upon  the  last  door  being 
opened,  as  well  as  the  trap  being  raised,  a  direct  descent  is  formed,  lead- 
ing immediately  to  the  cellar. 

Between  the  gig  and  the  coach  house  there  must  exist  a  clear  space, 
eighteen  feet  deep,  twelve  feet  wide,  and  of  the  last  extent  in  height, 
when  measured  from  its  roof  to  the  pavement,  which  is  level  with  the 
ambulatory.  The  covering  to  this  ground  being  flat  and  less  lofty  than 
the  slates  of  the  building,  is  proof  that  a  clear  space  must  exist  above  it. 
The  place  itself,  however,  contains  nothing  that  can  tempt  cupidity.  It 
is  evidently  a  sheltered  ground,  where  the  carriage  may  be  got  ready, 
the  harness  may  be  cleaned,  or  any  job  be  executed  which  might  soil 
other  portions  of  the  interior.  Such  a  spot  is  handy  for  many  purposes, 
and  serves  as  a  loitering  chamber  for  those  idle  gossips  who  delight  in 
hanging  about  large  stables. 

Against  the  wall  of  this  last  locality,  and  near  to  its  right-hand 
corner,  is  a  projecting  block  of  brick-work,  which  measures  three  feet  by 
two  and  a  half  feet.  It  is  evidently  neither  useful  nor  ornamental; 
therefore  the  reader  rightly  conjectures  it  merely  indicates  the  presence 
of  a  chimney.  Close  to  the  chimney,  but  nearer  to  the  entrance,  is  fixed 
a  pump.  From  a  plug,  ready  to  be  inserted  into  the  muzzle,  and  from 
a  pipe  running  some  feet  up  the  wall,  which  it  ultimately  pierces,  evi- 
dently the  pump  is  occasionally  used  to  force  water  into  a  hidden  recepta- 
cle situated  above  the  surrounding  level.  In  the  left-hand  corner  of  this 
clear  space  is  built  a  convenience  for  the  stable  servants,  which  should 
be  kept  as  clean  as  any  other  part  of  the  edifice. 

Looking  once  more  at  the  front  of  the  stable,  we  perceive  there  is  a 
clock  above  the  sheltered  ground,  while  immediately  under  the  clock 
something  resembling  the  top  of  a  door  can  be  discerned.  The  roof 
of  the  ambulatory  has  also  a  trap  let  into  it,  which  must  be  situated 
directly  beneath  this  door.  The  trap  being  raised,  and  the  door 
opened,  by  means  of  a  ladder,  which  should  hang  upon  the  outer  sidQ 
of  the  ambulatory,  admittance  is  gained  into  the  clock-loft:  by  this 
means  the  works  of  the  time-piece  can  be  regulated;  while  the  re- 
maining space  affords  ample  accommodation  for  storing,  and  also  offers 
a  spot  where  are  housed  those  articles  which  are  of  no  immediate 
utility.  , 

Between  the  gig-house  and  one  of  the  first  loose  boxes  there  is  a 
space  of  eight  feet  by  twelve  feet.  This  forms  a  room  which  has  two 
entrances :  one  is  by  a  door  pierced  through  the  wall  of  the  gig-house ; 
the  other  is  by  a  door,  the  upper  part  of  which  is  glazed,  and  which 
opens  from  the  ambulatory.  Leading  to  the  floor  of  the  apartment  are 
placed  before  each  door  two  steps,  the  pavement  of  this  room  being  two 


STABLES    AS    THEY     SHOULD    BE. 


321 


feet  lower  than  any  other  level  in  the  building.     The  ceiling,  however, 
is  ten  feet  removed  from  the  floor. 

In  the  farthest  corner,  raised  against  the  northern  wall  of  the  com- 
partment, is  situated  a  self-acting  and  slow-consuming  boiler.  The  fire 
faces  toward  the  door,  and  the  chimney  has  already  been  alluded  to  as 
built  out  on  to  the  covered  ground.  Commencing  in  the  farther  corner, 
at  the  opposite  extremity  to  that  occupied  by  the  door  leading  to  the 
gig-house,  is  a  staircase,  which  obviously  conducts  to  an  upper  apart- 
ment. 


«--+-■- 


fi.....4. 


" _0 TJl .■-.''..... °.,..m^mw~l 


EXIE  RCI:S  I  N  Ci 


GROUND 


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TTtr 


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EX'E  RCIiSING!       GROUND! 


s: 


V  'rf    ,ti- 


GROUND   PLAN. 


V? 


":::n"r:::;.a 


I  oblong  space  above  the  loose  boxes,  which  is  indicated  by  dotted  lines,  denotes  the  size 
of  the  central  ventilator. 


Above  the  boiler,  and  removed  but  one  foot  from  the  ceiling,  is  a 
cistern,  which  occupies  the  entire  length  of  the  wall,  or  extends  for 
twelve  feet :  it  is  four  feet  high  and  three  feet  wide.  The  situation  of 
the  cistern  explains  the  use  of  the  forcing  pipe,  which  leads  upward 
from  the  pump  and  supplies  the  cistern  as  has  been  noticed.  From  this 
reservoir  the  boiler  is  replenished,  and  the  water  troughs  are  kept  per- 
petually filled.  The  pipe  leading  to  the  stable  quits  the  cistern  at 
eighteen  inches  from  the  bottom;  consequently  the  horses  will  want 
fluid,  while  the  cistern  holds  a  supply  sufficient  to  last  some  time  when 
only  used  to  fill  the  boiler.  This  arrangement  involves  a  necessary  arti- 
fice. Pumping  is  hard  work,  and  grooms  are  not  famed  for  a  love  of 
mechanical  labor;  but  these  men  are  always  clamorous  at  any  stint 
within  their  dominions.  They  will  grumble  loudly  if  the  horses  lack 
water,  and  persecute  their  fellow,  whose  turn  it  may  be  to  pump,  until 
the  defect  is  remedied  j  whereas  the  boiler  might  become  red  hot,  and  an 

21 


322 


STABLES  AS  THEY  SHOULD  BE. 


explosion  threaten  to  demolish  the  building,  without  one  of  these  people 
being  moved  by  the  likelihood  of  such  a  catastrophe. 

From  the  boiler  proceed  pipes  which  travel  into  the  loose  boxes,  into 
the  harness-room,  into  the  coach-house,  and  into  the  gig-house.  "Within 
these  tubes  circulates  warm  water,  the  fluid  being  returned  again  to  the 
boiler  when  its  caloric  has  been  diffused  through  the  interior.  Few 
persons  imagine  how  important  warmth  is  to  the  welfare  of  the  horse. 
Cold  immediately  roughens  the  coat,  and  if  not  speedily  counteracted, 
stiffens  the  limbs  or  depresses  the  spirit.  Were  gentlemen  willing  to 
maintain  the  temperature  of  their  stables,  that  lengthy  coat,  which  nature 
now  sends  as  a  needed  protection,  would  not  be  produced :  the  follies 
and  the  barbarities  of  clipping  and  singeing  might  then  be  abolished. 
The  animal  which  is  properly  lodged  can  alone  attain  the  limit  of  pos- 
sible perfection. 


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PLAN  OF  THE  HOT  WATER  8BRVI0E. 


Impure  heat  generates  damp :  the  moisture  derived  from  such  a  source, 
being  finely  divided,  is  far  more  penetrating,  far  more  destructive,  and 
altogether  more  noxious,  than  a  similar  amount  of  water  could  prove. 
It  destroys  clothing,  encourages  moths,  dims  plated  and  painted  orna- 
ments, rusts  steel,  soils  varnish,  rots  wood  and  leather, — in  short,  there 
is  nothing  within  the  stable  but  suffers  more  or  less ;  while  in  the  animal, 
colds,  coughs,  and  influenzas  are  but  the  intimations  of  its  presence,  the 
full  effects  being  shown  by  the  breaking  forth  of  farcy  and  of  glanders. 
Better  be  without  horse  and  stable,  than  to  be  possessed  of  both,  and 
be  forced  to  lodge  the  quadruped  where  cold  and  damp  prevail. 

Few  gentlemen  care  about,  or  probably  no  gentleman  has  ever  se- 
riously thought  about,  the  coach-house  being  aired.  Yet  persons 
tenderly  brought  up,  nursed  in  luxury,  and  frequently  in  delicate  health, 
have  the  carriage  kept  near  to  a  close  stable,  or  housed  in  a  building  sadly 
exposed  to  the  moist  atmosphere  of  this  northern  climate.  The  vehicle 
is  pulled  out  of  such  a  place,  is  hastily  made  to  wear  an  outward  smarts 
ness,  and  is  then  whisked  to  the  front  door  of  the  mansion.     Ladies, 


'STABLES    AS     THET    SHOULD    BE.  323 

habited  in  tlie  thinnest  of  evening  dresses,  leave  their  warm  apartments 
and  subject  their  exposed  beauties  to  the  chilling  effects  which  must 
necessarily  be  present  in  vehicles  so  carelessly  sheltered.  Here,  after 
the  bustle  of  preparation,  they  remain  inactive  for  some  period.  They 
are  set  down  at  a  fashionable  hotel,  and  return  thence  in  the  same  con- 
veyance. The  next  day  they  naturally  complain  of  a  cold,  supposed  to 
have  been  caught  at  the  party  of  last  night ! 

People  when  seated  within  a  carriage,  the  windows  being  up,  may 
esteem  themselves  protected  from  the  night  air ;  but  they  would  be  safer 
wal'King  through  frost  or  rain  than  traveling  inactive  within  such  a 
receptacle.  Consumption  is  far  more  prevalent  among  carriage  folk 
than  it  is  common  among  races  which  are  supposed  to  exist  in  spheres 
liable  to  all  the  ills  of  life.  Poverty  has  to  encounter  many  perils,  and 
is  obliged  to  endure  many  privations;  but  it  is  not  exposed  to  those 
snares  which  the  ignorance  of  wealth  has  invented  for  its  own  destruc- 
tion. 

Perhaps,  in  this  country,  of  many  classes,  the  richer  are  most  troubled 
with  colds,  with  coughs,  and  with  diseases  of  the  air-passages.  Good 
living,  no  labor,  and  careful  nursing  may  enable  them,  to  linger  on  to  a 
good  old  age ;  but  comparatively  few  know  the  blessings  of  a  vigorous 
being  after  the  fiftieth  year  has  passed.  Warm  rooms,  a  study  of  the 
weather,  and  ample  envelopes  prolong  the  life ;  but  such  things  cannot 
restore  the  health.  Gout,  paralysis,  epilepsy,  with  numerous  brain  dis- 
orders, are  not  common  in  agricultural  districts,  where  carriages  are 
scarce.  Bronchitis  and  laryngitis  are  almost  the  property  of  the  wealthy. 
Yet  many  men  have  paid  pleasing  compliments  to  the  aristocracy  con- 
cerning their  longevity ;  but  no  one  has  hitherto  traced  the  cause  which 
bows  the  youthful  scion  to  an  early  grave,  and  makes  a  valetudinarian 
of  the  noble  who  should  be  still  enjoying  a  vigorous  middle  life.  Inven- 
tion has  been  racked  to  keep  the  feet  warm  when  within  the  vehicle ; 
but  it  seems  not  to  have  occurred  to  those  numerous  parties  whose  office 
it  is  to  minister  to  the  luxuries  of  the  rich,  that  the  interior  of  a  carriage 
might  be  benefited  by  a  secure  lodging,  or  by  its  being  thoroughly  aired. 
Such  conveyances,  for  hours,  during  the  most  rainy  nights,  crowd  about 
the  doors  of  fashionable  mansions,  the  woolen  lining  or  the  cotton  cover- 
ing of  the  interior  imbibing  the  malaria  which  resides  in  the  heavy  mid- 
night atmosphere  of  most  large  towns.  Women,  in  the  tenderest  dawn 
of  approaching  maturity,  and  flushed  with  the  pleasure  of  the  dance, 
enter  these  seemingly-sheltered  receptacles,  where,  lulled  by  the  motion, 
they  soon  fall  asleep.  Activity  is  changed  for  instantaneous  stagnation ; 
the  bustle  of  amusement  for  the  stillness  of  repose ;  the  heated  room  for 
the  coid  interior  of  a  damp  carriage ;  and,  during  the  drive  home,  every 


324 


STABLES    AS    THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


pore  of  tliO  body  being  open,  need  we  feel  surprised  should  the  seeds  of 
any  lurking  evil  be  kindled  into  activity  ? 

It  is  better  to  be  without  a  carriage  than  to  command  one  of  the  ordi- 
nary description ;  one  that  is  seldom  employed,  or  that  is  kept  in  a  moist 
shed.  All  which  comfort  requires  might  be  attained,  were  damp  ex- 
cluded from  the  coach-house,  and  were  this  portion  of  the  building 
warmed  with  the  same  means  as  keeps  up  the  temperatu];^  of  the  stable. 
To  prove  how  readily  and  how  cheaply  this  might  be  accomplished,  the 
warm  water  pipes  which  enter  the  boxes  and  the  harness-room  also 
penetrate  the  coach-houses — all  being  supplied  by  a  furnace  which  is 
denominated  "slow-consuming." 

These  boilers  are  of  modern  invention,  and  do  not  require  constant 
attendance.  They  occupy  comparatively  little  space ;  and  as  they  bum 
coke,  of  course  they  are  maintained  in  operation  at  small  expense.  An 
advertisement  informs  the  author  they  can 
always  be  seen  in  operation  at  No.  155  Cheap- 
side,  being  denominated  "Riddle's  Slow  Com- 
bustion Boilers."  .They  are  merely  proposed 
to  the  reader  as  the  most  recent  improvement 
of  which  the  author  is  apprised. 

Having  enlarged  upon  the  advantages  to  be 
secured  by  the  existence  of  a  boiler,  the  reader 
must  next  accompany  the  author  up  the  stairs 
which  lead  from  the  boiler-house  to  the  room 
above.  Close  to  the  northern  wall,  near  to  the  center  of  its  space,  is 
seen  an  ample  trap  door.  Recollection  assures  us  it  is  situated  imme- 
diately over  the  cistern ;  its  evident  use  is  to  permit  the  reservoir  to  be 


PLAN   OP   THE   'WATCHER'S-EOOM. 

T  indicates  the  position  of  the 
trap,  which  allows  of  entrance  to 
the  interior  of  the  cistern. 


SECTION  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

9 

Snpposed  to  be  drawn  wbere  the  letters  C  D  point  to  a  line  which  rans  across  the  ground  plan. 


cleansed  of  the  deposit  which  most  kinds  of  water  will  soon  leave  be- 
hind. Additional  room  is  secured  for  this  small  apartment  by  the  inser- 
tion of  a  large  dormer,  or  garret  window,  which  allows  the  ceiling  to  be 


STABLES    AS     THEY    SHOULD    BE. 


325 


even  witli  the  highest  rafter  of  the  roof  There  is  also  another  ana  a 
smaller  window,  that  enables  the  person  looking  through  it  to  command 
a  perfect  view  of  the  stable. 

Connected  with  this  apartment  is  a  bell,  which  sounds  in  an  adjacent 
cottage,  where  the  grooms  reside.  Should  assistance  be  required,  the 
bell,  being  gently  touched  once,  intimates  that  the  help  of  one  groom  is 
necessary.  A  violent  ring  indicates  the  need  of  all  haste.  Two  sounds 
announce  that  two  grooms  are  wanted.  Thus  the  number  of  men  is 
always  told  by  the  number  of  sounds ;  and  the  occasion  for  quickness 
is  suggested  by  the  violence  with  which  the  wire  is  moved.  A  number 
of  loud  sounds,  rapidly  succeeding  one  another,  is  a  signal  to  come 
immediately,  and  to  bring  such  extra  assistance  as  can  be  readily  pro- 
cured. 

Another  advantage  is  secured  by  a  man  being  awake,  and  upon  the 
premises.  The  present  necessity  for  cramming  the  entire  quantity  of 
food  down  the  animal  by  a  particular  hour  is  thereby  avoided.  The 
natural  habits  of  the  horse  can  be  attended  to,  the  animal  not  being  left 
twelve  long  hours  alone  and  without  employment.  The  five  feeds  might 
be  better  distributed  if  given  at  six  in  the  morning,  twelve  in  the  day, 
five  in  the  afternoon,  ten  at  night,  and  two  o'clock  on  the  following 
morning.  If  this  plan  of  feeding  were  tried  and  the  fodder  properly 
prepared  before  being  placed  in  the  manger,  the  animal  would  enjoy  its 
provision  more,  and  fewer  complaints  would  be  heard  about  the  fasti- 
dious appetite  of  a  creature  whose  natural  propensities  are,  by  present 
customs,  openly  violated. 


THE   ELEVATION   OP   THE  EASTERN  SIDE  OF   THE   CONTEMPLATED  STABLE. 


The  night  watcher  of  a  stable  has  more  serious  duties  to  perform 
than  most  people  associate  with  a  comfortable,  although  a  humble 
room.  The  groom,  having  finished  the  day's  work,  ascends  to  the 
apartment,  and  remains  there  until  his  fellows  return  on  the  following 
morning,  or  unless  some  business  occasions  him  to  quit  it.  There  are 
light,  fire,  table,  chair,  couch,  and  rugs  provided.  The  man  is  not  for- 
bidden to  sleep ;  but  while  he  rests,  the  window  which  overlooks  the 


326  STABLES    AS    THETf   SHOULD    BE. 

stable  should  remain  open,  so  that  any  noise  within  the  boxes  may  dis- 
turb his  repose.  The  watcher  is  expected  to  wear  his  clothes  through 
the  night,  so  that  should  an  accident,  at  any  time,  require  his  aid,  he 
may  always  be  prepared  to  afford  assistance ;  or  should  any  horse  be 
returned,  after  the  other  grooms  have  left  for  the  night,  he  may  be  ready 
to  receive,  to  dress,  and  to  feed  the  animal. 

The  architectural  designs  which  embellish  this  part  were  drawn  by 
the  author's  brother,  Mr.  Julius  Mayhew,  who,  under  the  inventor's 
direction,  will  be  happy  to  employ  his  talent  in  erecting  the  supposed 
stable  for  any  gentleman  intending  to  follow  out  the  plans  which  have 
been  exhibited. 


CHAPTER  X. 

GROOMS — THEIR  PREJUDICES,  THEIR   INJURIES,  AND   THEIR   DUTIES. 

Grooms,  if  generally  the  most  loose  of  servants,  are,  by  the  middle 
classes,  morally  subjected  to  the  worst  treatment  of  all  the  domestics. 
In  the  larger  number  of  the  purely  "grenteeZ"  families,  they  occupy  an 
intermediate  and  an  uncertain  position.  Few  of  them  live  in  the  house ; 
but  all  of  this  order  have  household  duties  to  perform.  Very  many 
have  to  clean  the  family  boots ;  to  rub  up  the  mahogany ;  to  polish  the 
plate ;  to  wait  at  table ;  and  to  fill  those  multifarious  offices  which  every 
woman  is  certain  no  female  ought  to  discharge  "while  there  is  a  great 
hulking  fellow  on  the  establishment." 

The  author  does  not  altogether  dissent  from  the  somewhat  coarse  con- 
viction just  recorded.  Where  a  single  conveyance  and  one  horse  are 
kept,  folly  alone  could  pretend  that  these  can,  or  should,  occupy  the 
entire  services  of  a  male  retainer.  It  is  far  from  unreasonable  to  im- 
pose other  duties  upon  the  man :  only  the  horse  and  the  stable  should 
be  allowed  to  have  the  foremost  claim  upon  the  groom's  attention. 
Whereas,  at  the  present  time,  the  animal  is  made  secondary  by  the 
authority  of  the  mistress ;  its  attendant  is  too  often  so  crippled  with 
multifarious  employments  that  it  is  at  chance  times  only  an  opportunity 
is  found  to  discharge  the  obhgations  of  the  domestic's  nominal  office. 

In  suburban  villas,  where  only  one  man  is  kept,  the  groom  often  is 
expected,  over  and  above  the  foregoing  list  of  duties,  to  keep  a  garden 
in  order.  To  be  sure,  the  vast  majority  of  genteel  grooms  understand 
quite  as  much  about  horticulture  as  they  really  comprehend  concerning 
horses.  If  asked  for  their  qualifications  with  respect  to  the  latter,  they 
assume  a  look  half  insolent  and  half  indignant  before  answering,  "  They 
have  lived  'mong  osses  all  their  lifes."  The  author  was  born  in  a  house, 
and  he  has  lived  among  houses  till  his  hair  is  white,  and  age  has  more 
than  began  to  tell  upon  his  activity ;  but  he  does  not,  therefore,  esteem 
himself  qualified  to  comprehend  all  about  those  structures. 

Still  the  suburban  groom  can  dig  in  manure ;  can  dibble  holes  into  soft 
ground,  and  can  drop  seeds  therein ;  can  stick  peas,  and  can  top  beans ; 

(327) 


S28  GROOMS. 

can  tie  up  flowers,  and  can  gather  in  fruit;  so,  to  the  height  of  his  mis- 
tress's requirements,  he  is  better  than  a  person  of  loftier  qualifications. 
If  any  garden  produce  should  thrive,  it  is  hailed  as  the  evidence  of 
Thomas's  ability ;  should  aught  totally  fail,  the  loss  is  attributed  to  the 
influence  of  the  season.  Thus  credited  for  the  good  and  shielded  from 
the  bad,  it  is  scarcely  cause  for  w^onder  should  Thomas  increase  in  fame, 
or  soon  grov^^  to  regard  himself  as  perfection  in  the  gardening  capacity. 

To  recompense  for  the  extra  toil  of  servitude,  the  country  groom 
takes  his  place  at  the  kitchen  table,  and  is  thereby  saved  from  many 
temptations  to  which  the  London  outdoor  domestic  is  necessarily  ex- 
posed. He  can  occupy  a  chair  before  the  kitchen  fire  when  the  day 
^nd  the  day's  work  has  ended.  In  such  places  there  is  never  any  lack 
of  conversation,  while  the  conduct  of  master,  of  missus,  and  of  the 
family  is  open  to  criticism.  But  the  town  groom  knows  nothing  of  such 
enjoyments ;  he  may  leave  his  horse,  during  the  day,  for  the  performance 
of  domestic  duties,  but,  after  dark,  it  is  essential  to  his  master's  peace  of 
mind  that  the  man  should  be  thought  located  in  the  stable. 

Within  the  last-named  place  he  has  a  solitary  room  allotted  him, 
which  lies  immediately  under  the  slates  and  directly  over  the  Qoach- 
house.  If  he  has  a  family,  his  wife  and  children  have  to  share  the  one 
small  apartment,  within  which  has  to  be  performed  the  sleeping,  the 
cooking,  the  eating,  and  the  washing  of  the  home  clothes,  to  which,  very 
frequently,  is  added  the  soiled  linen  of  some  patronizing  neighbor. 
Within  such  a  spacious  residence,  devoted  to  so  many  and  to  such  oppo- 
site uses,  a  human  being  is  expected  to  live  and  to  thrive ;  to  be  healthy 
and  to  regard  the  place  as  his  haven  of  domestic  felicity. 

Scientific  investigation,  however,  has  demonstrated  that  a  London 
mews  affords  the  most  unwholesome  abiding-place  which  is  to  be  found 
within  the  limits  of  the  metropolis.  With  only  slates  above  to  ward  off 
the  summer's  parching  heat,  or  to  keep  out  the  winter's  biting  frost ; 
with  the  huge  lungs  below  constantly  vitiating  the  atmosphere  of  the 
place,  it  is  no  reason  for  surprise  if  the  woman  soon  becomes  a  quarrel- 
some hag;  if  the  children  grow  "fractious"  imps;  while  the  man  learns 
to  shun  his  home,  and  to  practice  arts  which  are  needed  to  supply  his 
extravagances  elsewhere. 

Undermine  the  bodily  health,  and  assuredly  the  moral  principle  has  a 
tendency  to  give  way.  Squalor  is  not  friendly  to  the  maintenance  of 
probity.-  This  fact  is  illustrated  by  nations  as  well  as  exemplified  among 
individuals.  The  most  necessitous  are,  as  a  tribe,  always  the  most  dis- 
honest; but  healthy  poverty  does  not  always  indicate  the  keenest 
craving.  The  millionaire  may  be  more  greedy  than  the  pauper.  Yet 
when  want  arises  from  a  loss  of  health,  the  desires  generally  increaP;e  ae 


GROOMS.  329 

the  powers  of  enjoyment  diminish.  The  sicklier  the  neighborhood,  the 
more  criminal  are  its  inhabitants.  Among  a  people  emaciated  by  dis- 
ease, the  exemplification  of  virtue  is  an  exception,  as  witness  the  fearful 
sins  which  invariably  accompany  the  visitation  of  devastating  epidemics. 

When  in  town,  the  one  groom's  duties  necessitate  he  should  be  up 
before  the  family  have  opened  their  eyes;  his  functions  are* nearly  dis- 
charged when  master's  dinner  table  has  been  cleared.  The  morning  he 
is  supposed  to  occupy  by  attending  to  the  horse.  The  evening  he  is 
imagined  to  pass  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  or,  if  single,  in  solitude ; 
but  always  in  his  home  over  the  stable.  Before  his  employer's  break- 
fast, and  subsequently  to  the  "  Guv'nor's "  evening  repast,  the  man  is, 
by  an  amiable  fiction,  conjectured  to  be  laudably  engaged ;  although,  at 
such  times,  a  sickly  being  and  a  disordered  mind  is  freed  from  the  re- 
straint of  authority. 

The  homes  of  too  many  London  stable-men  are  such  abodes  as  no  life 
should  reside  in.  The  place  may  Tdc  crowded  with  the  elements  of  hap- 
piness: in  it  may  exist  wife  and  children;  but  to  it  can  be  attached  none 
of  those  characteristics  which  should  hallow  domesticity.  A  noxious 
vapor  at  all  times  prevails ;  this  undermines  the  health,  and  gradually 
saps  the  soul's  integrity.  The  impurity  of  the  atmosphere  induces  a 
languor  which  almost  compels  a  resort  to  stimulants.  The  man's  even- 
ings are  his  leisure  hours ;  but  what  choice  is  there  to  him  between  the 
blazing  fire,  with  the  cheerful  society  of  the  tap-room,  and  the  inadequacy 
of  accommodation  or  the  "fractiousness"  of  debility,  that  are  the  chief 
attractions  of  the  room  which  is  over  the  stable  ? 

A  genteel  groom's  wages  range  from  one  pound  one  to  one  pound  ten 
shillings  per  week,  together  with  outside  clothes  and  an  unwholesome 
lodging.  The  better  class  give  the  higher  sum ;  but  the  vast  majority 
of  London  grooms  do  not  receive  much  more  than  the  first  amount. 
How,  then,  on  so  small  a  wage,  can  the  men  afford  to  visit  so  frequently 
the  bar  round  the  comer  ?  In  the  first  plaf  e,  job  masters,  or  men  who 
let  out  carriage  horses,  retain  persons  whose  duty  it  is  to  call  round  at 
the  stable  and  see  how  the  creatures  are  progressing.  These  men  spend 
large  sums  in  "treating"  grooms;  where  an  animal  of  a  known  delicate 
constitution  is  placed,  their  calls  are  proportionately  numerous,  and  their 
"tips"  are  uniformly  liberal. 

A  tradesman  cannot  look  into  a  stable  without  inviting  the  presiding 
ruler  of  the  place  to  take  a  "parting  cup."  There  is  no  class  of  mascu- 
line servants  who  levy  "black  mail  "so  universally  and  so  unmercifully 
as  they  of  the  London  mews.  The  groom,  therefore,  does  not  pay  for 
half  of  the  much  he  swallows ;  and  to  liquidate  his  disbursements,  he 
collects  an  ample  revenue.     Five  per  cent.,  over  and  above  the  perpetual 


3S0  GROOMS. 

"treats"  and  gratuities,  is  tlie  general  tax  on  all  the  bills  wliicli  hia 
master  pays. 

Of  the  oats,  many  grooms  claim  a  partner's  share.  On  the  services, 
all  exert  the  larger  right.  Nay,  even  fashion,  perverse  and  capricious  to 
other  people,  seems  to  pander  to  the  wishes  of  the  stable.  The  animal 
delights  in  *a,  flowing  mane  and  tail,  which  not  only  beautify  the  creat- 
ure, but  serve  to  guide  the  motions,  to  fan  the  body,  and  to  flap  away 
the  insects.  The  groom,  however,  regards  the  long  horse  hair  as  his 
property,  and,  to  aid  his  views,  there  exists  an  instrument  the  use  of 
which  is  to  extract  the  equine  adornment  without  exciting  suspicion. 
Few  gentlemen's  horses  appear  with  the  mane  or  the  tail  in  a  natural 
condition,  and  genteel  prejudice  sneers  at  the  profusion  on  which  tribute 
has  not  been  levied.  Thus,  while  the  quadruped  lives,  it  breathes  to 
enrich  him  who  is  engaged  to  tend  the  animal. 

Nothing  can  enter  the  door  on  which  an  acknowledgment  is  not 
demanded,  while  nothing  can  le^ve  the  premises  which  is  not  regarded 
as  the  groom's  lawful  perquisite.  The  first  maxim  commences  with  the 
newly -purchased  animal;  the  last  terminated  with  the  carcass  which 
was  drawn  out  of  the  stable. 

For  the  servant's  shortcoming,  however,  the  master  is  to  blame.  It 
is  neither  morally  right  nor  socially  just  to  debase  a  man  by  exposing 
him,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  to  the  certainty  of  enervation,  while 
you  place  him  in  a  situation  of  trust  and  of  authority.  Perhaps  few  of 
human  kind  are  fitted  to  uprightly  support  the  double  responsibihty ; 
but,  certainly,  he  commits  a  sin  who  invests  another  with  such  powers 
and  then  turns  poor  frailty  into  an  exhausting  atmosphere,  removed  from 
the  possibility  of  supervision,  and  exposed  to  those  temptations,  while 
the  employer's  act  has  deprived  his  menial  of  the  energy  requisite  for 
successful  resistance. 

The  groom,  for  the  convenience  of  the  master,  is  forced  to  stand  where 
man  is  not  fit  to  be  placed.  He  is  despotic  over  the  lives  which  cannot 
complain;  he  is  the  occupant  of  a  home  which  is  incompatible  with 
health;  he  has  property  at  his  command,  which  it  is  impossible  to 
check;  with  much  idle  time,  he  is  surrounded  by  the  examples  and  by 
the  temptations  of  vice.  His  wages,  however,  are  barely  sufficient  for 
the  most  rigid  economy.  The  money  he  receives  is  certainly  not  fitted 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  smallest  extravagance.  What  justification 
can  be  urged  in  behalf  of  that  educated  gentleman  who  bribes  an  uned- 
ucated dependent  to  occupy  so  corruptive  a  position  ? 

From  the  disinclination  of  employers  to  adequately  discharge  their 
duties,  assuredly  spring  the  many  vices  which  beset  the  majority  of 
London  stables.     In  the  country,  where  things  are  managed  with  less 


GROOMS.  331 

of  systematic  formality,  and  where  the  groom  lives  with  the  servants  of 
the  family,  the  same  corruptions  do  not  prevail.  Tradesmen,  away 
from  the  metropolis,  give  Christmas-boxes ;  they  likewise  occasionally 
"treat"  and  "tip,"  but  the  custom  has  not  degenerated  into  a  tax, 
neither  is  the  ruler  of  the  stable  paid  five  per  cent,  on  the  master's  bills , 
nor  is  the  man  thus  bribed  to  promote  that  extravagance  which  is  detri- 
mental to  the  interest  he  has  engaged  himself  to  serve. 

These  things  cannot  be  amended  with  the  present  race  of  grooms. 
They  are  corrupt  beyond  all  hope  of  reformation.  With  new  material, 
a  new  system  must  be  established.  The  servant  should  be  accommo- 
dated with  a  wholesome  home.  Such  might  be  cheaply  built,  but  it 
ought  not  to  be  crowded  into  a  corner  of  the  horse's  dwelling.  It  should 
be  distinct  from  the  stables,  and  ought  to  possess  two  windows,  from 
which  the  horses  might  be  overlooked.  One  should  open  from  the 
sitting-room,  the  other  from  the  sleeping-chamber.  The  wages  at 
present  paid  may  be  ample  for  one  man's  food,  but  no  money  can  satisfy 
the  unhealthy  gnawing  generated  by  a  contaminated  domicile.  To 
permit  a  human  being  to  marry,  when  his  earnings  will  not  support 
a  family;  then  to  thrust  wife  and  children  into  one  small  room,  the  air 
of  which  is  vitiated,  naturally  leads  to  the  want  of  integrity,  which, 
properly  regarded,  is  in  its  effects  no  more  than  the  consequences  of 
injustice  rebounding  to  strike  the  wrong-doer. 

Against  the  proposal  to  erect  distinct  apartments  will  certainly  be 
urged  the  expense  which  must  be  necessitated  by  such  a  measure.  But 
when  the  year's  accounts  are  settled,  it  might  be  found  less  costly  to 
liquidate  all  needful  charges  than  to  feed  the  continual  drain  which  the 
present  custom  creates.  However,  the  wealthy  have  no  right  to  urge 
their  parsimony  when  the  health  of  an  inferior  should  be  the  sole  con- 
sideration; but  it  ought  to  be  recognized  as  a  religious  obligation  to 
sacrifice  personal  gratifications  rather  than  to  purchase  our  pleasures  by 
the  corruption  of  those  whom  Providence  has  permitted  to  exist  as  our 
dependents.  The  police,  who  are  empowered  to  enforce  the  observance 
of  certain  decencies  in  the  lodging-houses  of  the  poor,  should  also  be 
authorized  to  watch,  that  the  regulations  necessary  to  the  conservancy 
of  health  and  life  are  not  violated  to  propitiate  the  parsimony  of  the 
wealthy. 

The  last  word  of  the  foregoing  sentence  is  employed  to  denote  that 
species  of  possession  which  should  appertain  to  all  of  those  who,  accord- 
ing to  the  well-known  definition  of  the  witness  on  Thurtell's  trial,  merit 
the  term  of  "respectable.''^  To  those  establishments  in  which  only  one 
servant  (generally  without  the  assistance  even  of  a  stable-boy)  is  re- 
tained, the  following  remarks  are  chiefly  directed.     Where  numerous 


332 


GROOMS. 


domestics  are  retained,  over  whom  a  stud  groom  or  even  a  coachman 
presides,  no  specific  rules  are  required  to  be  laid  down. 

The  larger  stables  are,  for  the  most  part,  variously  but  admirably 
ordered.  These  sin  only  inasmuch  as  he  who  governs  shares  the  igno- 
rance which  pervades  all  modern  society.  But  the  animal  suffers  from 
other  causes  in  the  simply  genteel  establishment.  Two  grooms  can 
better  attend  even  to  six  horses  than  one  man  can  do  all  which  a  single 
quadruped  requires.  For  instance:  how  can  any  domestic  lead  the 
creature  to  exercise,  and,  while  he  is  thus  employed,  also  freshen  up  the 
stable  during  the  period  of  his  absence  ? 

Every  groom  should  be  allowed  a  lad,  for  the  above  reason.  Where 
only  one  animal  is  kept,  few  metropolitan  stables  are  fit  abodes  for  either 
man  or  horse.  These  are  both  retained  for  the  labor  each  can  perform ; 
but,  to  exert  this  labor,  a  healthy  residence  is  in  both  cases  of  equal 
importance.  To  show  the  reformation  which  in  the  great  majority  of 
London  stables  is  imperative,  the  next  engraving  is  introduced ;  and  it 
is  seriously  recommended  to  the  consideration  of  the  public,  not  as  a 
luxury  or  as  an  appendage  to  affluence,  but  as  an  alteration  which  would 
be  favorable  to  absolute  economy. 


ffil 


A  MODERN   STABLE,  A3  IT   MAT  BE  ADAPTED   AND   IMPROVED. 


The  above  plan  supposes  the  entire  space  occupied  by  a  LondoD 
stable  to  be  appropriated  to  its  legitimate  purpose.  Within  the  build- 
ing no  "groom's  room"  is  crowded.  The  interior  of  the  horse's  apart 
ment  extends  "  clear  up  "  to  the  roof  Such  a  height  may,  when  con- 
trasted with  existing  places  of  a  like  description,  appear  enormous;  but 
before  that  opinion  can  be  established,  those  purposes  to  which  the 
house  is  devoted  have  to  be  considered. 

A  stable  into  which  four  inconvenient  stalls  were  crowded  may  bo 
converted  into  a  receptacle  for  three  small  loose  boxes,  each  measuring 


GROOMS.  333 

six  feet  eigbt  inches  broad  by  sixteen  feet  deep.  The  divisions  are 
similar  to  those  alluded  to  in  the  previous  chapter;  but  the  first  two 
boxes  must  be  passed  through  before  the  third  can  be  reached.  There 
is  no  gangway,  and  the  door  opens  into  the  first  compartment,  through 
one  box  being  the  only  passage  to  the  others.  This  is  inconvenient; 
for  it  necessitates  that  when  a  quadruped  has  to  be  taken  out,  all  the 
horses  between  it  and  the  entrance  should  be  previously  haltered  and 
fastened  up  to  the  farthest  side,  or  to  where  the  manger  was  originally 
erected. 

The  hay-loft,  instead  of  being  directly  over  the  horses,  is  separated 
from  the  animals  by  a  stout  wall.  This  arrangement  obliges  that  the 
provender  should  be  fetched  as  it  is  wanted ;  but  it  also  provides  that 
the  food  shall  not  be  contaminated  before  it  is  offered  to  the  quadrupeds. 
The  vehicle  is  likewise  removed  from  the  possibility  of  soil;  and  the 
coach-house  contains  a  stove,  of  the  kind  called  "slow-consuming." 
Connected  with  this  fire  is  a  boiler,  from  which  hot  water  pipes  diverge. 
Above  the  coach-house,  the  space  is  divided  into  hay-loft,  etc. 

The  annual  cost  of  a  coach-house  and  stable  in  the  best  parts  of  Lon- 
don is  thirty  pounds.  A  house  of  the  proposed  dimensions,  where  the 
rent  is  highest,  would  necessitate  an  annual  outlay  of  fifteen  pounds 
extra.  Such  an  amount  might  be  easily  saved  from  the  present  expendi- 
ture, while  the  horses  would  be  better  lodged,  and  last  the  longer ;  the 
carriage  would  be  better  housed,  and  not  require  renovation  so  fre~ 
quently ;  the  food  would  be  kept  sweeter,  and  not  be  as  often  wasted  as 
eaten;  the  servant  would  possess  a  healthy  home;  while  the  master 
'could  not  but  gain,  by  the  better  strength  and  amended  feelings  of  his 
dependents. 

But  before  such  changes  can  be  witnessed,  gentlemen  must  have  re- 
leased their  minds  from  the  fetters  of  fashionable  custom.  The  prevail- 
ing folly,  which  insists  that  every  groom  shall  be  a  stunted  affectation, 
is  a  stain  upon  the  boasted  enlightenment  of  the  present  period.  It  is 
true,  a  light  weight  is  essential  in  a  jockey ;  but  men  of  station  should 
be  above  aping  those  necessities  which  the  trainer  laments  being  obliged 
to  obey. 

To  ride,  is  the  last  qualification  required  in  most  grooms,  and  it  is  one 
which  few  of  the  existing  deformities  can  properly  perform.  The  horses, 
when  exercised,  should  not  be  mounted,  but  should  be  led ;  and  height 
is  an  advantage  when  this  is  being  performed.  The  animals  are  like- 
wise more  readily  dressed  by  a  tall  man ;  for  many  a  quadruped  is  ren- 
dered restive  by  the  mingled  fuss  and  spite  vented  on  their  charges  by 
the  modern  diminutives. 

There  is,  however,  one  groom,  whose  weight  should  not  much  exceed 


S34  GROOMS. 

eleven  stone.  This  is  the  pad  groom,  whose  peculiar  duty  it  is  to  ride 
after  his  master  or  mistress,  when  either  indulge  in  equestrian  exercise. 
The  man,  being  a  personal  servant,  should  be  active  and  attentive. 
When  on  the  road,  he  should  follow  his  employer  at  such  a  distance  as 
will  prevent  him  from  overhearing  conversation,  and  will  render  it  im- 
possible for  the  horse  he  is  riding  to  challenge  or  to  excite  the  animal 
on  which  his  superior  is  mounted.  At  the  same  time,  he  should  be  suffi- 
ciently close  to  observe  the  slightest  action  of  his  employer;  and,  so 
soon  as  his  master  shall  stop,  he  ought  to  appear  on  the  off  side,  ready 
to  hold  the  rein  while  the  gentleman  dismounts. 

The  nag  is,  however,  at  the  present  time  more  the  property  of  the 
servant  than  of  the  proprietor.  It  is  more  ridden  by  other  persons  than 
by  its  nominal  master.  The  groom  rides  to  exercise ;  the  smith  rides  from 
the  forge.  When  a  message  is  sent,  the  servant  never  walks ;  if  a  parcel 
has  to  be  fetched  or  left,  the  man  always  carries  it  upon  another's  back 
than  his  own.  In  short,  the  steed  has  to  work  whenever  the  hired 
domestic  is  employed  beyond  the  walls  of  the  mansion. 

Now,  to  work  the  master's  horses  is  no  part  of  his  duties  who  is  en- 
gaged to  attend  upon  the  inhabitants  of  his  master's  stables.  It  may 
be  more  pleasant  to  ride ;  but  which,  does  he  imagine,  would  prove  most 
advantageous  to  the  animals  ?  To  him  whose  province  it  is  to  "  look 
after "  the  quadrupeds,  their  welfare  ought  to  be  more  studied  than  his 
personal  convenience.  There  is  an  accepted  maxim  about  "serving  two 
masters;"  but  this  is  that  which  all  horses  have  to  do;  and  very  often 
the  tyrant  of  the  mews  is  far  more  exacting  than  the  ruler  of  the  man- 
sion. People,  before  they  complain  of  the  expense  attendan,t  upon  keep- 
ing a  small  stud,  should  ponder  over  the  foregoing  facts ;  for  where  two 
duties  have  to  be  simultaneously  discharged,  we  may  anticipate  that 
health  will  occasionally  fail,  and  "  accidents  "  will  frequently  occur. 

Gentlemen  are  not  safe,  if  they  mount  horses  which  have  not  received 
the  morning's  exercise.  Grooms  are  seldom  to  be  absolutely  depended 
on  for  the  invariable  discharge  of  early  duties.  Hence  arise  the  majority 
of  those  terrible  misfortunes  which  condemn  wide  circles  to  adopt  sad- 
colored  garments.  When  the  master  is  thrown,  the  servant's  neglect  is 
too  frequently  the  cause  of  the  supposed  "accident."  Therefore,  where 
saddles  are  much  employed,  the  stable  attendant  should  never  be  free 
from  all  supervision  during  the  performance  of  his  essential  duties. 

After  long  confinement  within  a  tainted  atmosphere,  the-  pure  air 
seems  to  intoxicate  the  inhabitants  of  the  stable.  People,  subsequent  to 
severe  sickness,  generally  suffer  when  first  leaving  the  house.  But  a 
human  chamber  is  kept  ventilated,  and  the  patient  commonly  sits  near 
an  open  window  before  venturing  abroad.     The  equine  apartment  is 


GROOMS.  335 

always  foul,  and  during  the  night  it  generally  reeks  with  impurity.  The 
food  and  the  drink  of  the  animal  are  simple  in  the  extreme.  Its  limbs, 
while  in  the  stall,  are  motionless.  No  wonder,  therefore,  if  sudden  ac- 
tion and  the  inhalation  of  untainted  atmosphere  act  in  a  strange  manner 
upon  a  sensitive  and  delicately-organized  body.  The  creature's  senses 
are  not  to  be  measured  by  human  perceptions ;  neither  are  its  acts  to  be 
accounted  for  by  appealing  to  the  conduct  of  its  master.  We  must 
reason  temperately,  and  accept  the  mute  behavior  as  strongest  evidence. 
Then,  all  horsemen  must  have  remarked  the  excited  caperings  which 
signalize  the  first  release  of  the  horse  from  its  unwholesome  abode. 
During  such  a  time  the  saddle  cannot  be  a  desirable  seat ;  neither  can 
we  assert  how  soon  the  quadruped  is  free  from  its  excitement,  nor  what 
circumstances  may  induce  a  renewal  of  the  extraordinary  exhibition. 

The  next  thing  to  be  desired  is,  that  those  persons  who  do  not  employ 
a  stud  groom  should  find  some  one  to  represent  this  important  func- 
tionary. Where  groom  and  coachman  are  kept,  it  is  easy  to  invest  the 
coachman  with  authority ;  for  the  servant  is  always  a  severe  task-master 
to  his  fellow.  When  groom  and  coachman  are  united;  the  proprietor 
should  pay  more  than  visits  of  ceremony,  at  regular  periods,  to  his 
stables. 

Grooms,  however,  dislike  to  be  overlooked.  They  constantly  assert  a 
stable  is  "no  place  for  a  gentleman;"  and  aping  outward  respect,  they 
manage  to  render  this  opinion  influential.  When  the  proprietor  appears 
in  the  stable,  all  work  ceases.  The  groom  stiffens  with  the  most  rigid 
propriety.  Under  a  pretense  of  duty,  he  dogs  his  employer's  steps. 
He  answers  in  monosyllables,  and  in  a  low  voice.  The  face  grows  un- 
pleasant in  the  blankness  of  its  expression.  He  will  not  talk;  he  will 
not  work ;  he  will  only  watcfi  his  master,  with  an  air  partly  of  offense, 
partly  of  mystery.  The  gentleman  soon  grows  uncomfortable ;  and  there 
is  small  cause  for  surprise  should  the  proprietor,  having  been  thus 
treated,  be  in  no  hurry  to  repeat  the  visit. 

The  stable  is  then  relinquished  entirely  to  the  servant.  There,  the 
man  fears  no  eye  observing  his  actions ;  and  he  knows  there  is  no  tongue 
to  report  his  behavior.  Before  an  uneducated  individual  is  thus  left  in 
unchecked  authority,  it  were  well  to  think  if  his  surroundings  are  of  a 
character  which  neither  passion  nor  malice  could  convert  into  instruments 
of  danger. 

The  attention  should  be  seriously  given  to  the  banishment  of  steel 
from  every  tool  employed  about  the  horses.  Those  who  are  not  in  the 
secrets  of  such  matters  cannot  imagine  how  many  injuries,  which  are 
reported  and  accepted  as  "accidents,"  are  really  wounds  willfully  inflicted 
Quring  moments  of  irritation. 


336 


GROOMS. 


An  instant's  reflection  will,  however,  convince  the  least  credulous 
reader  of  the  feasibility  of  the  above  assertion.  Stable-men  usually 
pass  their  evenings  at  an  adjacent  public  house.  After  a  night's  en- 
deavor to  sleep  in  a  foul  atmosphere,  their  duties  oblige  them  to  be  early 
risers.  They  enter  the  stable,  having  their  stomach  upset;  with  their 
temper  consequently  unhinged,  and  in  no  mood  to  attend  upon  the  wants 
of  an  unsympathetic  animal.  At  such  moments  the  iron  tools  must  be 
employed,  and  the  lightest  of  these  things  can  inflict  the  most  terrible 
injuries.  The  stable  fork  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  a  dangerous  weapon. 
The  man  may  be  removing  the  bed  with  this  implement,  when  he  mut- 
ters, "kim  ovare."  The  horse  does  not  hear  or  does  not  understand  the 
command.  The  order  is  shouted  out  in  the  topmost  key  of  an  angry 
voice.  Fear  incapacitates  the  quadruped  for  obedience.  The  arm  is 
raised  before  the  creature  has  recovered ;  and  a  blow  from  a  pitchfork  will 
leave  a  fearful  mark  behind. 


"KIM  OTAM." 


To  avoid  such  "accidents,"  banish  the  use  of  metal  from  within  the 
Stable.    All  requisite  implements  can  be  made  of  horn  or  of  hard  wood 


GROOMS.  33T 

To  scrape  the  perspiration  ofiF  the  body  of  a  horse,  a  slip  of  whalebone 
will  leave  nothing  to  be  desired;  to  toss  up  or  to  carry  away  thirty-six 
pounds  of  loose  straw,  tough  wood  may  answer  as  well  as  iron.  The 
curry-comb  will  scrape  enough,  if  composed  of  horn ;  although,  save  in 
exceptional  cases,  and  under  veterinary  advice,  such  an  implement  of 
torture  is  better  abolished,  for  it  generates  the  scurf  which  its  constant 
use  is  thought  to  remove.  The  man  can  work  longer  and  accomplish 
more  with  a  hair  cloth,  a  brush,  and  a  whisk.  Should  the  skin  appear 
dry  or  scurfy,  forbear  to  irritate  it  with  the  curry-comb.  Moisten  it  the 
night  before  with  the  following  preparation;  on  the  ensuing  morning 
dress  the  animal  with  the  utmost  gentleness. 

Preparation  for  a  scurfy  skin. 

Animal  glycerin One  part. 

Rose-water Two  parts. 

Mix. 

A  small  teacupful  of  the  above  should  be  sufficient  to  moisten  the 
entire  lx)dy  of  a  horse;  for  the  skin,  not  the  hair,  requires  merely  to  be 
lightly  damped  with  a  small  bit  of  sponge.  To  execute  this  properly 
occupies  considerable  time ;  it  cannot  be  quickly  perfomied.  But  if  this 
is  done  occasionally,  the  integument  will  continue  soft ;  for  the  effect  of 
glycerin,  as  a  wash  for  the  skin,  cannot  possibly  be  too  much  confided 
in.  Should  the  smell  of  the  animal  glycerin  prove  offensive,  the  prop- 
erty may  be  overcome  by  adding  to  the  mixture  a  sufficiency  of  any 
cheap  essential  oil.  To  harness  horses,  however,  animal  glycerin  is  not 
so  powerful  as  to  necessitate  any  con-ective. 

A  further  benefit  will  be  secured  by  the  banishment  of  the  curry-comb. 
Those  noisy  and  unseemly  contests,  which  are  provoked  every  morning, 
will  no  longer  startle  a  quiet  neighborhood.  The  shouts  of  "  stand  still," 
and  the  blows  with  which  these  orders  were  accompanied,  will  cease  to 
be  heard ;  for  the  writhing  which  elicited  both  will  terminate  when  the 
curry-comb  has  been  abolished.  Grooms,  by  the  gentler  behavior  of 
their  charges,  may  be  tutored  to  abandon  those  very  emphatic  expletives 
that  sound  oddly  when  addressed  to  the  animal,  which  is  the  most 
patient  and  the  most  obedient  of  all  creation.  Mild  words  commonly 
accompany  gentle  actions;  under  better  regulations,  man  and  horse  may 
learn  ultimately  to  cherish  for  each  other  those  emotions  natural  to  two 
living  beings  that  are  thrown  so  much  into  each  other's  society. 

Tying  the  horse's  head  high  up  to  a  wall — putting  on  the  necklace — 
using  the  muzzle,  or  employing  the  arm-strap — are  but  artifices  which 
enable  a  groom  to  employ  a  needless  instrument  with  unnecessary  se 

22 


338  -  GROOMS. 

verity.  Animals  Avith  tender  hides  suffer  so  acutely  under  this  affliction, 
that  lamentable  consequences  have  been  caused  by  that  despetation 
which  the  torture  has  induced.  It  is  better  to  adopt  gentler  means, 
when  these  are  more  certain  and  more  effectual  than  any  restraints  can 
possibly  be  rendered,  while  the  curry-comb  is  retained. 

Having  so  far  changed  the  habits  of  the  stable  as  to  prevent  the 
groom  from  riding  on  all  occasions — having  brought  the  man  to  believe 
that,  where  strength  is  not  required,  articles  made  of  wood  or  of  horn 
are  as  useful  as  tools  manufactured  out  of  iron — having  convinced  him 
of  the  folly  exemplified  by  the  employment  of  such  very  energetic  lan- 
guage to  an  animal, — there  yet  remains  something  more  to  be  accom- 
plished. Small  respect  is  evinced  by  sullen  demeanor.  The  man,  having 
acknowledged  the  entrance  of  his  master,  should  proceed  with  his  ordi- 
nary work,  until  the  voice  of  hife  employer  calls  his  attention  from  it,  or 
desires  his  presence  elsewhere.  This  the  domestic  ought  to  comprehend 
and  to  acknowledge  before  he  is  required  to  exemplify  it  by  his  actions. 
The  servant  must  be  also  taught  to  remove  pails,  cloths,  or  instruments 
from  the  stable  the  instant  such  articles  are  no  longer  employed.  Thus 
those  unsightly  objects,  as  stopping-box,  dirty  rags,  soiled  bottles,  forks, 
brooms,  sticks,  etc.,  which  now  usually  litter  such  places,  would  be 
totally  banished  into  obscurity. 

These  things  should  never  be  suffered  to  remain  after  they  are  no 
longer  needed.  Grooms  often  acquire  a  habit  of  striking  their  charges ; 
this  practice  is  likely  to  be  encouraged  by  the  means  of  chastisement 
being  always  ready  to  the  hand.  Insist  that  the  interior  be  kept  in- 
variably clear;  that  all  tools  are  brought  into  the  stable  as  required, 
and  are  carried  thence  when  no  longer  employed.  Jars,  bottles,  etc. 
should  never  be  allowed  to  accumulate,  under  a  pretense  that  such 
refuse  may  prove  useful  on  some  future  occasion,  or  may  hereafter  be 
sold  as  a  legitimate  perquisite.  Forbid  the  insertion  of  nails  or  hooks 
into  the  walls ;  for  such  projections  have  occasioned  fearful  rents  in  a 
horse's  body;  and  so  have  the  sharp  edges  formed  by  the  building, 
whether  these  are  of  brick,  of  wood,  or  of  iron :  all  should  be  very 
carefully  rounded,  for  this  last  precaution  being  unheeded  has  induced 
lamentable  injuries. 

In  a  properly-regulated  stable,  water  should  be  abundant,  and  ought 
to  be  freely  employed.  Grooms  dislike  this.  At  present,  even  books 
are  written  which,  as  an  innovation  upon  confirmed  habits,  seriously 
propose  that  the  flooring  of  stalls  should  be  washed  once  a  week.  The 
author  recommends  that  the  loose  boxes  should  be  thoroughly  flooded 
every  morning,  and  that,  while  this  is  done,  they  also  should  be  well 
scrubbed  with  a  stiff  birch  broom.     The  pavement  ought  to  look  clean, 


GROOMS.  339 

and  the  stable  should  be  perfectly  free  from  any  taint.  Many  ignorant 
or  idle  persons  assert  dirt  to  be  preservative  of  health  ;  but  if  the  reader 
will  experiment  with  a  little  cleanliness,  he  may  afterward  be  trusted  to 
decide  upon  the  merit  of  the  opposite  extreme.  While  the  grooms  are 
walking  the  horses  the  stable-boys  can  cleanse  the  boxes,  and  these 
places  being  warmed  during  winter,  there  is  no  peril  to  be  anticipated 
from  excess  of  moisture,  though  inconvenience  may  be  experienced  in 
consequence  of  its  deficiency. 

The  stable  thus  regulated  is  not  only  a  safer,  but  it  is  a  more  health- 
ful abode  for  horses.  Another  advantage  is  gained  by  keeping  the 
building  perfectly  vacant — no  excuse  is  then  ever  ready  to  justify  the 
intrusion  of  idlers.  When  groom  and  horses  reside  under  one  roof, 
such  an  order  cannot  be  insisted  upon ;  but  when  each  has  a  distinct 
home,  the  man's  visitors  evidently  have  no  business  within  the  master's 
offices.  Yulgar  people  are  apt  to  become  excited  by  the  presence  of 
numbers,  and  to  illustrate  their  dexterity  upon  the  quadrupeds,  which 
cannot  comprehend  that  action  to  be  intended  for  play,  when  their  part 
in  the  amusement  generally  calls  on  the  creatures  to  endure.  Moreover, 
grooms  are  fond  of  dogs ;  some  of  their  pets  are  rem^kable  for  ferocity. 
Nor  does  the  educated  savagery  of  the  canine  species  form  the  only 
objection  to  their  presence ;  these  animals  have  a  tendency  to  exhibit  a 
fearful  disease,  to  inoculation  from  M^hich  the  horse  is  very  susceptible. 

Cleanliness,  quietude,  and  regularity  should  prevail  in  every  stable. 
Where  one  horse  alone  is  kept,  the  groom  should  be  placed  over  a  lad; 
for  a  stable  cannot  be  well  managed  by  one  pair  of  hands.  The  door 
of  the  building  should  be  unlocked  punctually  at  six  o'clock.  The  horse 
should  be  inspected,  to  see  that  no  mishap  has  occurred  during  the  night; 
after  which  the  animal,  at  present,  receives  the  earliest  feed  of  corn,  mixed 
with  two  pounds  of  clover  hay  cut  into  chaff,  the  whole  having  been 
steamed  or  macerated.  While  this  is  being  consumed,  the  night  clothes 
should  be  removed ;  the  unsoiled  straw  divided  from  the  soiled  bedding ; 
the  clothes  should  be  spread  out  to  become  perfectly  dry;  the  exposed 
body  of  the  animal  should  be  again  thoroughly  inspected ;  stopping 
(when  used)  taken  from  the  feet ;  the  water  renewed ;  the  feet  looked 
to ;  the  clinches  of  the  nails,  which  fasten  on  the  shoes,  should  be  felt ; 
the  unsoiled  bed  heaped  into  one  corner  of  the  box ;  the  day  clothes  put 
on ;  and  those  things  generally  attended  to  which  are  required  to  give 
the  place  a  smart  appearance. 

Seven  o^clock. — The  day  clotlies  are  either  allowed  to  remain,  are 
changed  for  lighter  sheets,  or  are  entirely  removed,  according  to  the 
weather:  the  horse  is  bridled,  and  the  animal  is  led  forth  to  one  hour's 
exercise ;  the  helper  or  the  stable-boy  throws  every  outlet  open ;  puts 


340  GROOMS. 

the  bedding  out  to  dry,  if  requisite ;  washes  the  pavement ;  sluices  the 
drains ;  cleans  the  manger ;  allows  a  full  stream  of  water  to  flow  through 
the  troughs;  getting  the  building  sweet  and  ready  by  the  expiration  of 
the  hour. 

This  morning  exercise  is,  in  London,  often  neglected ;  but  it  should 
always  be  strictly  insisted  on.  Perhaps  it  were  better,  were  the  animals 
at  once  conducted  from  the  place  in  which  they  slept  and  led  through 
the  air  upon  the  iirst  opening  of  the  doors :  after  which  they  could  return 
to  sweetened  apartments,  with  bodies  refreshed  and  appetites  stimulated 
by  the  morning  breeze.  Moreover,  it  is  better  to  divide  the  exercise  and 
the  work  by  as  long  a  period  as  possible ;  and  the  food  must  be  more 
nutritive  and  wholesome  when  eaten  in  a  clean  apartment,  than  when 
devoured  in  a  chamber  reeking  with  the  fumes  of  twelve  hours'  imprison- 
ment. No  fear  need  be  felt  concerning  the  delay,  as  the  exercise  is  no 
more  to  the  horse  than  is  the  early  walk  before  breakfast,  in  which  so 
many  gentlemen  indulge  with  advantage  to  their  constitutions.  During 
winter,  however,  the  morning  exercise  is  often  delayed ;  and  then  is  sel- 
dom given.  The  only  legitimate  excuse  for  the  absence  of  such  a  neces- 
sity to  health,  is  the  presence  of  a  severe  frost.  Otherwise,  winter  and 
summer,  the  early  walk  should  never  be  neglected. 

Eight  o^clock.  —  The  horse  is  brought  in,  and,  being  stripped,  the 
grooming  commences  before  the  body  cools.  This  is  performed  outside 
in  very  warm  weather,  but  within  the  stable  when  the  day  is  either 
cold  or  wet.  Hair  cloth,  dandy  and  water-brush;  hay  wisp,  sponge 
and  comb,  are  only  employed  in  this  operation.  The  hair  cloth  is  used, 
save  in  cases  of  absolute  necessity,  instead  of  a  curry-comb :  the  other 
things  are  employed  after  the  manner  in  which  grooms  are  accustomed 
to  use  them. 

The  groom  should  always  cleanse  the  body  in  the  line  of  the  hair. 
To  ruffle  this,  causes  annoyance  to  the  animal,  and  interferes  with  the 
beauty  of  its  appearance.  The  daily  renovation  ought  to  commence 
with  the  head.  On  this  part  more  time  and  patience  should  be  lavished 
than  is  usually  bestowed.  The  groom  is  not  perfect  in  his  duty  until 
his  office  affords  pleasure  to  the  creature  on  which  he  operates.  The 
ears  are  smoothed  and  made  glossy  with  the  hand.  Then  the  fore  quar- 
ters are  dressed;  afterward  the  animal  is  turned  round,  and  the  other 
parts  are  attended  to :  but  one  agent  is  always  fully  used  before  the  next 
is  introduced.  The  openings  having  been  sponged  and  the  long  hair 
combed,  the  toilet  is  then  finished.  This  being  done,  the  groom  sees 
about  his  harness,  etc.,  till  nine  o'clock. 

To  ascertain  whether  an  animal  has  been  properly  groomed,  inspect 
the  roots  of  the  mane.     Should  scurf  appear,  set  the  servant  to  remove 


GROOMS.  341 

it.  Also  finger  the  body,  which  should  communicate  no  thick  and 
greasy  soil  to  the  hand.  Grooms  will  assert  it  is  impossible  to  prevent 
these  effects ;  but  if  their  labor  cannot  clear  the  coat,  they  must  be  either- 
very  ignorant  or  very  idle.  It  is  useless  to  dispute  with  an  inferior. 
Tell  him  you  insist  upon  your  desires  being  accomplished,  and  you  will 
only  retain  the  man  who  can  effect  it. 

Nine  o^clock. — The  horse  receives  another  feed,  consisting  of  two  and 
a  half  pounds  of  soaked  peas  or  of  soaked  tares,  one  quart  of  soaked 
and  crushed  barley,  with  three  pounds  of  clover  hay  cut  into  chaff,  and 
also  steeped :  all  soil  is  removed  from  the  boxes ;  the  groom  then  returns 
to  finish  his  harness.  Every  piece  is  unbuckled  and  cleaned  separately, 
and  all  metal  articles  polished,  after  the  leather  has  been  overlooked  and 
renovated. 

Ten  o^clock. — The  man  goes  to  the  house  for  the  day's  orders :  these 
obtained,  he  returns  to  the  stable ;  he  finishes  the  harness  and  he  cleans 
the  carriage.  The  cushions  should  be  removed  and  daily  aired  :  in  hot 
weather,  in  the  sun ;  in  wet  or  during  cold  seasons,  at  the  fire.  This  is 
done  before  the  vehicle  itsel'f  is  attended  to. 

Twelve  o^clock. — The  horse  has  another  feed,  composed  of  half  a 
gallon  of  crushed  and  macerated  oats,  with  two  pounds  of  properly-pre- 
pared pea  or  bean  chaff. 

Two  o^clock. — The  horse,  when  not  required  by  the  master  or  mis- 
tress, is  led  out  for  two  hours'  exercise.  When  its  services  are  needed, 
the  eyes,  nostrils,  etc.  are  sponged  over ;  the  mane  and  tail  combed  out; 
the  coat  is  dried  and  smoothed ;  the  exterior  of  the  hoofs  slightly  gly- 
cerined ;  the  feet  and  shoes  specially  noticed ;  then  the  saddle  or  harness 
is  put  on,  and  the  animal' is  walked,  not  hurried,  round  to  the  front 
door.  If  the  quadruped's  services  are  not  required,  the  last  directions 
are  unheeded. 

Four  or  five  o^clock. — "When  the  horse  returns,  either  from  abroad  or 
from  exercise,  the  bed  should  have  been  littered  down,  and  the  body 
should  be  slightly  dressed ;  the  night  clothes  should  be  ready ;  the  animal 
is  fed  with  four  pounds  of  Egyptian  beans,  soaked  and  mingled  with 
half  a  peck  of  upland  hay  chaff.  When  the  horse  is  out  late,  the  groom 
and  the  stable-boy  should  be  up  to  receive  it.  Further  instructions  will, 
hereafter,  be  given  concerning  the  treatment  of  the  animal's  possible 
condition  when  it  is  brought  home  at  unseasonable  hours. 

At  dusk. — A  small  light  is  ignited,  and  placed  in  a  lantern. 

At  ten  o^clock. — The  horse  receives  the  last  meal,  which  consists  of 
the  same  ingredients  as  the  twelve  o'clock  feed. 

In  the  foregoing  directions,  only  those  things  have  been  mentioned 
n-hich  require  to  be  executed  with  regularity.     Many  small  acts  are,  of 


342  GROOMS. 

course^  not  named.  These  are  done  between  the  more  important  duties. 
But,  as  a  general  division  of  the  labor,  a  good  groom  should  always 
mate  the  horse  the  primary  consideration.  Thus,  the  fore  part  of  the 
day  is  entirely  spent  upon  the  quadruped,  upon  the  harness,  and  upon 
the  vehicle;  while  the  afternoon  (where  such  an  arrangement  be  pos- 
sible) is  devoted  to  the  employer  or  to  the  stable,  and  to  those  small 
matters  which  always  demand  attention. 

A  better  division  of  the  feeding  is,  to  withhold  the  nine  o'clock  por- 
tion, and  to  give  it  at  two  o'clock  in  the  early  morning;  for  as  the  horse 
delights  in  comparative  darkness,  and  is  by  nature  formed  to  be  hungry 
and  active  after  sunset,  man  certainly  would  gain  by  following  the  plan 
which  best  accords  with  the  animal's  instinct.  Thus  horses,  being  ob- 
served when  in  the  field,  will  invariably  be  seen  either  resting  or  sleeping 
during  the  hot  hours  of  the  afternoon.  The  cool  of  the  evening,  conse- 
quently, would  be  a  better  time  for  enforcing  exercise  than  the  period 
when,  according  to  existing  customs,  it  is  generally  administered.  In 
private  establishments,  however,  many  of  the  latter  proposals  would  be 
attended  with  inconvenience ;  but  the  author  can  imagine  no  household 
in  which  the  ten  o'clock  feed  and  the  evening  exercise  might  not  be 
undertaken,  and,  in  several  public  companies,  everything  here  suggested 
could  be  accomplished.  The  morning's  exercise  should  likewise  be  given 
before  the  day  becomes  hot  or  the  light  is  fully  confirmed.  Then  the 
quadruped  is  braced  by  the  spirit  of  the  hour,  not  render"fed  miserable  by 
the  heat  and  annoyed  by  the  stings  of  innumerable  insects. 

The  only  peculiarity  in  the  above  regulations  consists  in  the  length  of 
time  over  which  the  feeding  and  the  exercising  are  distributed.  The 
ordinary  day  of  most  stables  lasts  only  eleven  or  twelve  hours.  The 
author  makes  the  period  to  extend  over  sixteen  hours.  His  reasons  for 
so  doing  are  twofold :  in  the  first  place,  the  horse  is  by  nature  formed 
to  enjoy  the  night  much  more  than  it  is  made  capable  of  roaming  during 
the  day;  in  the  second  place,  the  author  never  dissected  the  carcass  of 
an  aged  animal  without  finding  the  capacity  of  the  stomach  morbidly 
enlarged,  and  the  walls  of  the  viscus  rendered  dangerously  thin  by  re- 
peated distention.  The  manner  in  which  the  small  digestive  bag  of  the 
quadruped  must  be  overloaded,  by  the  usual  plan  of  cramming  five  full 
meals  into  twelve  hours,  accounts  for  the  latter  characteristic,  and  also 
explains  why  indigestion  should  rank  among  the  most  fearful  and  the 
commonest  malady  which  attends  upon  domestication. 

The  curry-comb  is  abolished ;  but  the  generality  of  grooms  also  re- 
quire to  be  cautioned  concerning  the  use  of  the  wisp  and  the  brush. 
The  first  article  is  generally  brought  down  upon  the  sides  with  a  succes- 
sion of  heavy  blows.     Now,  beating  is  not  cleaning;  neither  is  one  act 


GROOMS.  843 

necessary  to  the  proper  performance  of  the  other.  The  brush  is  often 
applied  so  quickly  and  sharply  as  to  cause  the  animal  to  shrink.  The 
groom  would  not  admire  being  himself  dressed  according  to  such  a 
method.  The  hair  cloth  should  be  used  to  remove  impurities;  the 
brush  is  employed  to  expel  loose  particles,  and  to  smooth  any  hair  which 
the  previous  process  may  have  disturbed  or  roughened ;  the  wisp  is  in- 
tended to  polish  the  coat.  Any  violence  over  and  above  that  requisite 
to  fulfill  such  intentions,  is  needless  cruelty,  and  should,  when  detected, 
be  immediately  checked. 

The  more  important  portion  of  a  groom's  duty,  however,  concerns  the 
treatment  necessary  for  a  wet,  a  tired,  a  dirty,  or  a  heated  horse.  Most 
servants  are  successful  in  dressing  an  animal  when  the  stable  is  entered 
in  the  morning,  but  few  comprehend  how  to  groom  a  steed  in  any  of  the 
conditions  which  have  just  been  named ;  and,  of  that  number,  fewer  still 
care  to  stay  out  of  their  beds  to  cleanse  the  soiled  coats  of  the  creatures 
intrusted  to  their  custody. 

Clipping  and  singeing  are  processes  which  all  stable-men  greatly  ad- 
mire. However,  before  the  grounds  of  their  admiration  are  criticised,  it 
may  be  as  well  to  reason  a  little  upon  wh'at  appears  to  be  a  growing 
custom.  British  horses  are  deprived  of  the  thick,  warm  covering  which 
nature  bestows  only  in  the  winter.  It  certainly  does  sound  somewhat 
paradoxical,  when  it  is  stated  that  the  English  allow  their  quadrupeds 
to  run  about  in  full  costume  during  the  summer's  heat,  but  take  off  every 
protection  as  wet,  snow,  and  frost  approach.  Certainly,  if  extra  cover- 
ing is  requisite  at  any  period,  man,  by  great-coats,  cloaks,  mantles,  over- 
shoes, respirators,  boas  and  comforters,  has  declared  that  Christmas  is 
the  time  for  additional  warm  clothing.  But  the  groom  protests  it  is  im- 
possible to  keep  a  wintry  equine  garment  dry ;  he  says  that  when  the 
creature  has  been  made  comfortable  the  previous  evening,  the  coat  is 
often  found  to  be  quite  wet  on  the  following  morning. 

Still,  in  some  very  cold  climates,  it  is  not  unusual  to  wet  the  garments, 
for  the  purpose  of  confining  the  animal  heat,  or  of  preventing  cuticular 
evaporation ;  therefore,  the  moisture  of  the  skin  may  be  ordained  with 
a  benevolent  design.  But  granting  all  the  groom  can  object  to  wintry 
perspirations,  the  body  which  perspires  is  confined  in  a  stable,  and  an 
impure  atmosphere  can  occasion  a  faintness  which  shall  provoke  a 
copious  cuticular  emission.  At  all  events,  man  has,  in  his  treatment  of 
the  horse,  made  such  egregious  blunders  that  he  ought  to  be  careful  how 
he  presumes,  in  future,  to  differ  from  the  ordinances  of  nature. 

To  illustrate  the  effects  produced  by  a  thick,  wet  covering,  and  by  a 
thin,  wet  envelope,  let  the  author  narrate  the  result  of  a  very  simple  ex- 
periment, which  the  reader  may  without  much  trouble  institute  for  him- 


344  GROOMS. 

self.  Obtain  two  bottles.  Wrap  one  closely  in  several  layers  of  calico ; 
around  the  other  fix  only  a  single,  tightly-fitting  covering  of  the  same 
fabric.  Saturate  the  cloths  of  both  bottles  with  water ;  also  fill  the  in- 
terior of  each  with  the  same  liquid.  Renew  the  moisture  to  the  two 
coverings  as  either  becomes  dry.  After  twelve  hours,  test  the  tempera- 
tures of  the  contents  poured  from  either  bottle.  That  from  the  thickly- 
covered  (which  may  remain  wet)  vessel  will  be  unchanged,  or  warmer 
for  its  confinement ;  that  contained  within  the  thinly-protected  inclosure 
(which  possibly  shall  be  quite  dry)  will  be  cold,  very  cold — so  cold,  that 
in  warm  climates  water  is  thus  rendered  a  refreshing  draught.  Nay,  the 
hotter  the  medium  to  which  the  bottles  have  been  exposed,  the  colder 
will  be  the  temperature  of  the  thinly-coated  liquid. 

Now,  the  stable  is  always  a  heated  medium.  The  animal  with  a  thick 
coat  is  represented  by  the  vessel  with  a  thick  incasement,  the  contents 
of  which  are  not  chilled  by  the  moisture  which  saturates  its  envelope. 
The  clipped  steed  is  represented  by  the  bottle  thinly  enfolded,  the  liquid 
within  which  became  cold.  But,  it  may  be  urged,  the  clipped  horse  is 
never  moist.  Then  perspiration  must  be  checked,  and  fever  must  be 
present ;  for,  during  health'  the  pores  of  the  skin  are  never  inactive. 
Where  the  coat  is  removed,  superficial  perspiration,  accompanied  with 
constant  evaporation,  must  always  be  taking  place.  Where  the  hair  is 
thick,  moisture  naturally  accumulates;  because  the  covering  prevents 
superficial  evaporation,  and  thereby  checks  the  operating  cause  of  inter- 
nal frigidity. 

For  the  reasons  explained  by  the  above  experiment,  horses  which 
have  been  clipped  or  singed  are  thereby  rendered  more  susceptible  to 
many  terrible  disorders.  Any  internal  organ  may  be  acutely  attacked; 
because  the  perspiration  has,  by  exposure  of  the  skin,  been  thrown  back 
upon  the  system.  Numerous  hunters  (which  animals  are  always  clipped) 
fail,  at  the  beginning  of  the  season,  from  this  cause.  Nor  can  the  author 
comprehend  the  purpose  served  by  the  prevailing  custom,  excepting  the 
propitiation  of  a  servant's  humor.  It  is  said,  the  animal  moves  so  much 
more  nimbly  after  the  long  coat  has  been  removed.  This  may  be  the 
fact,  though  the  author  has  hitherto  seen  no  such  marked  change  follow 
the  operation  as  will  allow  him  to  deliberately  corroborate  the  general 
assertion. 

Moreover,  let  the  servant,  when  he  notices  the  animals  for  the  first 
time  in  the  morning,  observe  the  breathing  of  the  quadrupeds.  The 
building  has  been  closely  shut  for  the  entire  night,  and  the  impure 
atmosphere  will  necessarily  excite  the  respiration.  Now,  it  may  not  be 
exactly  in  accordance  with  the  groom's  notions,  but  scientific  men  have 
long  known  the  skin  and  the  lungs  to  be  joined  in  one  and  the  same 


GROOMS.  345 

function.  Then,  what  right  has  ignorance  to  expect  one  to  be  idle  when 
the  other  is  oppressed  ? 

Perspiration  only  implies  cuticular  activity.  It  is  a  healthy  action ; 
the  emission  of  the  horse  is  only  an  efiFort  of  nature  to  cast  off  those 
impurities  which  man  obliges  his  prisoner  to  inhale.  The  clipped  animal 
must  also  perspire  if  it  also  inhabit  the  building,  and  remain  free  from 
disease.  The  skin  must  equally  exhale,  as  a  law  of  its  existence ;  but 
tke  hair  being  short,  and  the  surface  of  the  body  exposed,  the  heated 
medium  in  which  the  creature  stands  may  cause  the  moisture  to  evapo- 
rate as  rapidly  as  it  is  emitted.  Still,  all  this  will  not  satisfy  the  stable- 
man. It  is  not  only  the  wetness  of  the  coat  which  he  dreads,  but  it  is 
the  presence  of  dirt  that  he  abominates.  Long  hair  attracts  and  pro- 
tects mud,  which,  however,  is  easily  removed  from  any  substance,  after 
it  ha'S  been  allowed  to  yield  up  its  component  moisture. 

Yiewingthe  insensible  perspiration  as  an  established  fact,  the  prevailing 
customs  are  not  unattended  with  danger.  The  advent  of  the  summer's 
covering  is  delayed,  and  the  system  seems  to  suffer  greatly  during  the 
subsequent  period  of  changing  the  coat.  The  pace  flags ;  the  spirits  fail ; 
and  the  quadruped  becomes  more  susceptible  to  disease,  at  a  time  of 
year  when  equine  disorders  are  commonly  more  general  and  more 
virulent. 

Yet,  it  may  be  urged,  that  in  the  winter  season  the  roads  are  far 
dirtier,  and  the  long  coat  is  so  much  more  retentive  and  more  difficult  to 
cleanse.  Here  again  the  argument  returns  to  the  groom,  and  to  his  dis- 
taste for  his  avocation.  It  is  true,  a  long-haired  heel  should  not  be  made 
clean  after  the  usual  fashion.  The  man  should  not  take  the  horse  outside 
into  the  night  air,  and  should  not  tie  its  head  to  the  stable  walls.  He 
should  not  dash  a  pail  or  two  of  cold  water  over  the  soiled  and  heated 
memljers ;  and  should  not  lead  the  horse  back  to  its  stall,  retiring  to  bed 
with  a  comfortable  conviction  that  he  has  done  his  duty. 

To  fling  about  water  necessitates  little  trouble,  therefore  it  is  a  favorite 
practice  with  all  stable  attendants.  Whether  it  meets  with  equal  favor 
from  the  life  whose  heels  have  to  sustain  the  deluge,  no  one  has,  hitherto, 
been  weak  enough  to  inquire.  That  nature  intentionally  clothed  the 
horse's  heels  with  long  hair,  to  keep  lowly-organized  parts  warm  and 
free  from  dust,  is  a  fact  neither  thought  of  nor  cared  about.  The  man 
specially  retained  to  look  after  the  quadrupeds  cuts  away  the  provision 
which  was  instituted  by  the  Source  of  all  mercy;  then  applies  cold 
water  to  the  organs  which  Wisdom  saw  reason  to  shelter,  leaving  the 
members  to  chill  and  chap,  while  he  retires  to  his  repose. 

The  animal,  with  its  dripping  heels,  is  hastily  fastened  in  a  stall.  The 
clipped  legs  of  a  horse  are  admirably  adapted  to  exemplify  the  effects  of 


BU 


GROOMS. 


evaporct'on  That  portion  of  the  body  where  the  circulation  is  most 
feeble  has  to  endure  the  effects  of  the  process  which  can  generate  cold, 
even  during  the  extremity  of  the  summer's  heat.  Cracked  heels,  grease, 
etc.  (see  "Illustrated  Horse  Doctor")  are  the  immediate  results;  and 
the  master  who  makes  the  welfare  of  his  steed  subservient  to  the  idle 
prejudices  of  his  groom,  is  fitly  punished  in  the  lengthened  period  of  his 
animal's  compulsory  idleness,  appropriately  finished  by  the  payment  of 
a  long  bill  to  the  veterinary  surgeon. 


mufmmm. 


■^■\- 


THE   USOAL   METHOD   OF   CUEANSINQ   A   HORSE  S   HEELS. 


The  author  seriously  proposes  that  all  horses'  legs  should  be  permitted 
to  retain  the  adornments  which  were  sent  by  the  bounty  of  nature  for 
the  comfort  of  her  creatures.  The  clipped  or  singed  horse  is  a  deformity : 
the  color  is  unnatural:  the  coat  is  dull  and  stubborn,  looking  most 
unlike  that  pohshed  surface  which  is  native  to  the  beautiful  quadruped. 
Moreover,  those  who  live  in  a  temperate  climate  should  be  content  to 
forego  certain  elegances  which  are  natural  to  warmer  regions :  or,  if 
they  will  have  tropical  loveliness,  they  should  encourage  it  by  those 
means  which  enable  oranges  to  ripen  in  England,  and  not  descend  to 


GROOMS. 


3IT 


meannesses  whicli  may  expose  their  desires,  but  can  deceive  no  one, — 
not  even  the  most  ignorant  in  horse  flesh. 

Supposing  a  horse  to  be  brought  home  with  undipped  but  with  soiled 
heels ;  with  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen  covered  by  dirt,  and  the  coal 
di'enched  with  rain : — the  animal  is  led  into  the  stable ;  the  bridle  and 
saddle  are  removed ;  the  body  is  first  quickly  scraped ;  then  it  is  rubbed 
over  with  a  few  dry  wisps ;  afterward  it  is  lightly  hooded  and  covered 
with  an  ample  sheet.  The  master,  who  has  hastily  taken  off  his  boots 
and  changed  so  much  of  his  clothing  as  was  wet,  now  returns,  bringing 
a  quart  of  warm  beer  in  a  pudding  dish,  and  he  remains  to  see  the  quad- 
ruped drain  the  draught. 


GIVING   A   HORSB   A   QUART   OF   MALT   LIQUOR. 


Horses  soon  learn  to  drink  and  to  enjoy  malt  liquor.  Were  such 
stimulants  equally  at  their  command,  certainly  the  animal  would  excel 
its  superiors  in  habits  of  intoxication.  The  majority  of  quadrupeds 
may,  with  the  first  few  draughts,  require  a  little  coaxing;  but  the  pri- 
mary disinclination  overcome,  the  craving  for  such  an  indulgence  seems 
to  be  immoderate.  An  occasional  stimulant  is,  however,  very  useful  in 
the  stable.  It  revives  exhaustion,  and  restores  vigor  to  the  circulation. 
The  timely  administration  of  a  quart  of  fermented  liquor  to  a  jaded 
steed  has  often  prevented  those  evils  which  usually  attend  upon  bodily 
prostration. 


348 


GROOMS. 


The  drink  oeing  swallowed,  the  sheet  is  taken  off,  and  the  body  made 
thoroughly  dry  with  wisps  and  cloths.  The  lad  again  employs  the 
scraper :  the  man  with  a  cloth  dries  the  eyes,  channel  between  the 
thighs,  chest  and  abdomen,  always  performing  his  duties  with  gentle- 
ness, and  discarding  the  cloth  for  a  hay  wisp,  where  the  hair  is  thick,  or 
wherever  the  water  appears  to  have  lodged.  While  this  is  doing,  the 
proprietor  should  comb  out  the  tail,  the  forelock,  and  the  mane;  he 
should  also  discharge  those  many  little  offices  which  are  not  laborious, 
but  which  add  greatly  to  the  comfort  of  a  tired  animal.  Other  portions 
of  this  matter  will  be  treated  of  in  another  part  of  the  present  article, — 
such  portions  being,  the  food  proper  subsequent  to  fatigue,  and  the  right 
method  of  cleaning  the  heels.  However,  it  may  be  necessary  to  observe 
in  this  place  that  before  the  quadruped  is  left  for  the  night,  the  sheet 
should  be  removed,  and  the  usual  night  rug  put  on  to  the  body. 


CLEANSING  AN  EZHACSTED  HORSE. 


When  a  horse  is  brought  in,  covered  with  perspiration,  it  is  led  at 
once  into  the  stable;  master,  man,  and  boy  should  join  in  its  purifica- 
tion. The  lad  takes  the  scraper,  and,  beginning  at  the  quarters,  hastily 
presses  out  the  excess  of  moisture ;  while  the  groom  procures  a  pail  of 
cold  and  a  pail  of  warm  water.  All  being  ready,  the  master  not  having 
left  the  stable,  the  lad  brings  forth  a  dish  of  diluted  soap,  (half  a  pound 
of  soap  whisked  about  till  it  has  dissolved  in  one  quart  of  water,)  and, 
dipping  his  right  hand  in  this  preparation,  he  smears  it  all  over  die  body. 
So  fast  as  the  youth  rubs  the  soap  into  the  hair,  the  groom  washes  it  off, 


GROOMS. 


349 


by  pouring  warm  water  over  the  place.  The  warm  water  carries  away 
the  soap,  and  with  it  are  also  removed  all  the  impurities  natural  to  the 
soiled  condition  of  the  skin. 

After  the  groom  comes  the  master,  who  pours  upon  the  body,  already 
washed  with  warm  fluid,  a  stream  of  cold  water  from  the  rose  of  a 
watering-pot.  The  intention  of  the  process  may  be  thus  explained. 
The  dissolved  soap  and  the  warm  water  are  simply  used  to  cleanse  the 
body ;  having  done  this,  the  cold  water  is  applied  merely  to  close  the 
pores  of  the  skin,  and  to  invigorate  the  system  which  exertion  had 
debilitated. 


CLEANSING  AND   COOUNO  A  TIRKD  H0B8E. 


This  accomplished,  all  hands  present,  after  the  manner  already  directed, 
should  set  to  work :  scraping,  rubbing,  combing,  and  using  their  utmost 
endeavors  to  dry  the  animal  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  horse  is  then 
lightly  hooded  and  clothed.  Where  there  exists  a  covered  way,  the 
animal  should  be  run  up  and  down  the  protected  road  six  or  seven  times ; 
then  returned  to  the  stable.  Should  there  be  no  ambulatory  connected 
with  the  premises,  the  friction  ought  to  be  continued  longer  than  other- 
wise, so  that  the  surface  of  the  skin  may  be  gently  warmed,  and  the 
circulation  slightly  quickened,  that  being  all  the  little  amount  of  motion 
which  was  ordered  could  accomplish. 


850 


GROOMS. 


Witb  regard  to  the  legs  and  feet  of  the  animal,  these  parts  are  so 
much  exposed  that  to  them  the  same  danger  does  not  attend  the  presence 
of  damp  as  is  commonly  dreaded  in  the  human  subject.  The  water 
with  which  the  body  has  been  drenched  will  naturally  flow  down  the 
legs,  and  remove  from  them  no  inconsiderable  quantity  of  soil.  All, 
however,  having  been  performed  as  directed,  the  groom  takes  up  each 
hoof  and  cleans  it  thoroughly  out  with  a  picker  and  a  hard  brush.  Then 
he  goes  upon  his  knees ;  with  several  straw  wisps,  he  removes  so  much 
dirt  and  moisture  as  will  yield  to  friction.  This  done,  he  brushes  over 
the  outer  wall  of  the  horn  with  glycerin,  and  rolls  bandages  round  the 
legs. 


DRYING   THE   HEELS. 


In  the  above  illustration,  the  size  of  the  horse  cloth  cannot  otherwise 
than  have  appeared  strange  to  the  reader.  But  things  as  large,  if  not 
of  a  greater  magnitude,  should  be  in  every  stable — not  for  general  use, 
but  for  special  occasions.  The  ordinary  rug  merely  covers  the  spine, 
not  doing  so  much  toward  keeping  warm  the  carcass  of  a  horse  as 
would  be  effected  by  a  Guernsey  jacket  upon  the  body  of  a  man.  Yet, 
who  would  think  of  employing  the  last  article  as  a  sole  envelope  for  a 
cold  and  fatigued  traveler  ?  This,  however,  is  all  modern  custom  sanc- 
tions for  the  comfort  of  a  tired  and  exhausted  steed  I  The  folly  of  so 
inadequate  a  provision  is  apparent,  and  the  necessity  of  the  innovation 
suggested  by  the  last  engraving  must  be  obvious  to  all  who  will  con- 
descend to  think  seriously  on  the  subject. 

While  the  legs  are  being  attended  to,  the  supper  may  also  be  before 
the  horse.     The  meal,  however,  should  not  be  of  the  full  quanti*.y  or  of 


GROOMS. 


351 


a  heavy  uatiire.  The  stomach  sympathizes  with  tne  general  exhaustion 
of  the  body;  the  digestion  is  too  much  weakened  to  appropriate  its 
ordinary  nutriment.  For  a  steed  whose  feeding  capabihties  are  not 
hearty,  a  little  bread  and  salt,  offered  from  the  hand  of  its  human 
favorite,  will  frequently  be  eaten.  Half  of  a  half  quartern  loaf,  lightly 
seasoned,  commonly  will  be  gratefully  accepted,  if  given  in  the  manner 
directed.  Often,  however,  the  craving  is  limited  to  liquids,  all  solid 
provender  being  refused. 

The  animal  should  not  be  annoyed  by  any  well-intentioned  coaxing 
to  eat,  when  nature  commands  it  to  abstain.  The  inclination  of  the 
quadruped  should,  at  this  time,  always  be  respected;  for  a  tired  steed 
stands  upon  the  borders  of  inflammation,  and  in  proportion  to  the  value 
of  the  quadruped  invariably  is  the  danger  of  an  attack.  Hard-worked 
horses  often  want  the  stamina  which  enables  nature  to  resist  the  effects 
of  exhaustion.  The  bread,  if  not  accepted,  should  be  immediately  with- 
drawn, and  a  pail  of  well  and  smoothly  made  gruel,  with  which  the  meal 
was  to  have  concluded,  be  alone  presented.  All  other  food  should  be 
removed,  and  the  animal  left,  supperless,  to  its  repose. 


If  the  gruel  is  rejected,  take  it  away ;  place  it  in  a  cool  situation,  and 
it  may  be  swallowed  with  avidity  on  the  following  morning.    If  allowed 


852  GROOMS. 

to  remain,  the  animal  will  breathe  upon  it,  and  grow  to  distaste  the 
nourishment.  Suffer  the  horse  to  take  the  rest  which  a  disinclination  to 
feed  will  have  informed  you  is  nature's  primary  requirement.  Only, 
order  the  groom  once  or  twice  lo  peep  at  the  nag  through  the  window 
which  overlooks  the  stable.  Should  the  creature  have  laid  j3own,  the 
man  may  retire  to  his  bed,  convinced  that  all  his  well ;  but  should  the 
animal,  upon  the  second  inspection,  be  beheld  standing  up,  no  time  must 
be  lost.  The  servant  ought  to  dress  himself,  to  apprise  his  master,  and 
to  descend  to  the  stable;  for  this  attitude,  being  long  maintained,  is 
among  the  earliest  and  surest  indications  that  disease  has  commenced. 

A  good  feeder  may  simply  require  an  allowance  of  bruised  beans  and 
corn,  to  be  well  boiled  in  a  sufficiency  of  water,  and,  before  being  pre- 
sented as  two  meals,  quite  cold.  No  hay,  but  a  little  bran  or  chaff 
should  accompany  the  mess,  as  the  desire  is  to  nourish  the  system  with- 
out overloading  the  stomach.  Should,  however,  this  potion  be  refused, 
it  is  soon  converted  into  gruel,  by  stirring  to  it  a  sufficiency  of  water  and 
placing  it  on  the  fire ;  afterward  by  pouring  the  liquid  through  a  strainer, 
the  husks  are  readily  separated.  It  is  but  seldom  that  full  feeders  are 
thus  far  exhausted.  A  voracious  appetite  is  commonly  united  to  so 
much  slothfulness  of  body  as  saves  the  horse  from  the  aggravated  effects 
of  absolute  muscular  and  nervous  prostration. 

On  the  following  morning — supposing  no  misliap  to  have  occurred — 
when  the  time  arrives  to  groom  the  horse,  the  bandages  should  be  taken 
off,  and,  as  each  wrapper  is  removed,  the  leg  ought  to  be  dressed.  Firstly, 
the  member  should  be  well  rubbed  with  several  wisps  of  straw.  The 
more  apparent  dirt  being  removed,  the  part  should  be  further  cleansed 
by  application  of  the  hand.  After  this  the  hair  should  be  combed ;  then 
again  ruffled  with  the  hand  —  these  processes  being  terminated  by  a 
thorough  application  of  the  dry  water  brush.  This  operation  should  be 
repeated  upon  each  leg,  no  hurry  being  indulged  in  the  performance  of 
this  operation;  but  water  should  not  be  applied  to  the  heels,  without 
the  special  leave  of  the  proprietor  having  been  obtained.  The  case 
should  be  very  marked  before  such  permission  is  accorded ;  for  wet  to 
the  heel  is  the  cause  of  numerous  troublesome  affections. 

Most  grooms  are  convinced  of  the  propriety  of  walking  the  horse  up 
and  down  when  the  creature  has  returned,  and  perspiration  has  moist- 
ened the  winter's  coat.  The  author  has,  elsewhere,  illustrated  the  folly 
of  this  practice.  The  body  soon  chills,  upon  a  change  of  action ;  not- 
withstanding a  most  conscientious  individual  might  swear  the  legs  have 
never  ceased  moving.  It  is  better  to  have  the  horse  at  once  brought 
into  the  stable ;  to  cleanse  the  skin  with  liquid  soap  and  warm  water ; 
and  to  close  the  open  pores  by  the  application  of  cold  fluid ;  then,  with 


GROOMS. 


353 


vigorous  friction,  using  straw  wisps,  to  cause  a  reaction  in  the  circula- 
tion. Only,  where  the  author's  last  recommendation  is  adopted,  the 
friction  must  not  cease  until  the  skin  glows,  which  it  usually  will  in  a 
remarkably  short  period. 


THE  GROOM,  ON   HIS   KNEES,  TAKING   OFF    THE   BANDAGES  AND   RCBBINO   THE   DIRT   OUT   OF   THE   HORSE'S  LE08 

All  grooms  are  much  disposed  to  treat  the  foot  of  the  horse  as  a 
mysterious  organ,  which  none  but  a  person  reared  in  a  stable  possibly 
can  comprehend.  This  is  the  result  of  impudence  and  ignorance,  work- 
ing for  the  exaltation  of  selfishness.  The  foot  is  not  generally  under- 
stood, because  people,  in  their  folly,  will  insist  on  regarding  a  very 
simple  member  as  an  uncommon  and  a  complicated  structure.  The 
horn  being  porous,  insensible  perspiration  should  escape  through  its 
minute  openings.  To  prove  this,  let  the  gentleman  accompany  his  nag 
to  the  farrier's,  the  next  time  the  animal  is  shod.  When  the  sole  is 
pared,  let  a  wineglass  be  held  over  the  part,  and  the  surface  of  the  vessel 
will  speedily  be  bedewed  with  the  exuding  moisture. 

Now,  grooms  understand  nothing,  and  care  less  about  the  perspiratory 
property  of  the  horn.  They  cannot  understand  how  the  stoppage  of 
perspiration  may  induce  serious  sickness.  Therefore,  most  of  the  secret 
nostrums  employed  to  embellish  and  to  keep  healthy  the  horn  of  the 

23 


354  GROOMS.       * 

horse's  foot  contain  tallow,  wax,  lamp-black,  and  various  solids,  which 
must  clog  the  pores  of  the  hoof,  and,  by  arresting  one  of  its  functions, 
provoke  disease.  The  best  application  to  adorn  this  part  is  a  little  of 
the  glycerin  mixture,  directions  for  preparing  which  have  already  been 
given.  This  moistens  and  renders  pliable  the  hoof,  which,  be  it  black  or 
white,  will  present  a  polished  surface,  without  the  pores  being  clogged 
up  by  the  tenacious  property  of  its  substance. 

It  is  a  general  custom  to  contract  with  the  groom,  that  he  shall  sup- 
ply the  horse  with  cloths,  brushes,  etc.  The  sum  usually  given  is' four 
or  five  pounds,  over  and  above  the  yearly  wages.  This  custom  is  at- 
tended with  two  evils  and  with  one  advantage.  The  evils  are, — should 
the  man  quit  his  situation,  he  commonly  leaves  an  empty  stable  behind 
him;  or  the  master  has  to  buy  a  second  time  those  things  which  his 
money  has  already  purchased.  The  other  objection  being, — that  grooms 
are  likely  to  procure  less  than  is  essential,  when  the  fewer  articles  they 
can  make  shift  with  puts  so  much  money  into  their  pockets ;  thereby 
the  horse  is  either  imperfectly  attended  to,  or  the  vehicle  (where  the 
groom  has  to  look  after  one)  suffers  from  the  want  of  proper  appliances. 
The  solitary  advantage  which  attends  this  kind  of  arrangement  being, — 
that,  it  enables  the  proprietor  to  estimate,  with  greater  accuracy,  the  cost 
of  his  establishment. 

London  stables  are  all  faulty.  Such  places  are  much  too  small.  A 
stable  which  is  professed  to  contain  four  stalls,  should  be  divided  into  two 
loose  boxes ;  or  it  might,  if  the  stalls  are  of  the  kind  which  is  denominated 
"roomy,"  be  converted  into  three  small  compartments.  Therefore,  every 
gentleman  hiring  a  building  for  this  purpose,  should  rent  one  which,  in 
London,  is  generally  esteemed  larger  than  he  is  supposed  to  require. 
The  alterations  are  quickly  made;  and  the  proprietor  may  be  certain 
that  his  outlay  will  bear  a  most  liberal  interest.  Where  valuable  horses 
are  concerned,  rent  is  not  a  weighty  consideration. 

The  stable  being  taken  and  altered,  order  the  groom  to  watch  the  eat- 
ing capacities  of  your  horses.  If  he  report  that  each  feeds  alike,  or  that 
all  clear  their  mangers,  either  investigate  the  matter  yourself,  or  have 
the  animals  observed  by  somebody  on  whose  report  you  can  better  de- 
pend. It  is  seldom  that  three  quadrupeds  meet,  having  precisely  equal 
capacities  in  any  particular.  The  author  has,  seemingly,  ordered  one 
general  quantity  for  all  horses ;  but  those  who  serve  out  the  provender 
should  apportion  the  amount  by  the  results  of  experience. 

There  is  one  quality  for  which  most  London  grooms  are  remarkable ; 
nevertheless  this  conspicuous  characteristic  appears  to  have,  hitherto, 
escaped  observation.  They  all  display  a  strange  union  of  extreme  inno- 
cence and  the  height  of  knowingness.      They  profess  to   understand 


•       GROOMS.  355 

everything  which  concerns  the  horse.  In  every  essential  of  the  many 
circumstances  which  surround  all  animals,  they  will  not  quietly  permit 
their  knowledge  to  be  questioned.  But  with  regard  to  that  particular 
sphere  which  it  is  their  duty  to  be  acquainted  with,  they  ape  an  inno- 
cence which,  in  its  excess  of  wonder,  amounts  to  the  possible  extent  ol 
impudence. 

The  groom  prides  himself  on  the  power  of  being  " close, -'^  but  he 
exhibits  this  attainment  chiefly  to  his  master,  and  principally  at  his 
employer's  cost.  Let  anything  be  broken  in  the  stable,  and  it  only 
excites  the  groom's  surprise.  He  knows  nothing  about  it.  If  a  horse 
is  seriously  injured,  the  man  who  looks  after  the  animal  hails  the  event 
as  an  "accident:"  is  perplexed  by  its  occurrence,  and  never  has  the 
remotest  idea  how  it  could  have  happened.  Should  anything  be  miss- 
ing, the  servant  recognizes  its  absence  with  astonishment,  and  remem- 
bers to  have  recently  seen  it ;  but  cannot  imagine  where  or  how  it  ha? 
departed  1 

On  the  other  hand,  his  knowledge  masters  impossibilities.  He  can 
make  any  lame  horse  go  sound  ;  he  can  induce  prime  condition  in  less 
than  a  week ;  he  can  cure  glanders ;  he  can  render  the  most  savage 
horse  as  tame  as  a  lap-dog;  he  knows  how  to  plan  a  stable;  how  to 
make  harness  look  well  and  last  long ;  understands  carriages ;  and,  in 
short,  is  a  perfect  proficient  in  everybody's  business,  though  he  never 
knew  anything  that  immediately  concerns  his  own  immediate  depart- 
ment. 

The  reader  will  have  drawn  the  inference  from  the  above  fact  that  a 
groom  is  never  to  be  believed.  The  author  laments  he  cannot  gainsay 
such  a  conclusion.  The  master  will  only  be  misled  by  following  his 
servant's  teaching.  Domestics  of  all  descriptions  are  to  be  employed ; 
theirs  is  no  office  of  instruction.  Yet  grooms  deal  largely  in  advice, 
and  always  have  an  opinion  ready  to  be  advanced.  The  gentleman  will 
gain  who  can  afford  to  discard  such  pretensions.  Keep  the  stable-man 
entirely  to  his  duties.  Never  allow  him  to  exceed  these.  Never  permit 
him  to  quit  his  legitimate  sphere ;  for,  in  any  other  province,  he  is  the 
very  dearest  assistant  that  money  could  possibly  procure. 

In  conclusion,  never  permit  the  London  groom,  save  at  certain  unem- 
ployed and  stated  periods,  to  engage  in  household  duties. 

He  speedily  grows  to  be  worthless  in  both  occupations,  when  his 
labor  equally  concerns  the  home  and  the  stable.  The  horse  is  the 
excuse,  when  any  domestic  order  is  not  fulfilled ;  the  house  is  his  justi- 
fication, whenever  complaint  is  made  that  the  quadruped,  the  vehicle,  or 
the  harness  exhibits  evidences  of  neglect.  This  is  one  of  the  reasons 
why  so   many  disgraceful    single  horse    "turn   outs"  may  be   beheld 


356 


GROOMS. 


journeying  tlirough  the  streets  of  London.  Sights  which  are  melan- 
choly to  contemplate,  and  disgraceful  for  any  gentleman  to  acknowl- 
edge. 

In  a  previous  chapter  the  author  has  described  what  a  stable  ought  to 
be  ;  but  he  anticipates  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  the  public  shall  con- 
sent to  adopt  the  writer's  notions.  Most  persons  will  not  soon  amend 
or  speedily  change  the  conveniences  attending  the  present  form  of 
stables.  However,  when  renting  a  building  divided  into  stalls,  any- 
body may  command  one  loose  box.  This  is  readily  made  by  placing 
two  bales  across  the  gangway,  reaching  from  the  farthest  trevise,  each 
bale  resting  against  the  wall  of  the  building.  Such  an  extemporaneous 
makeshift  has  been  found  very  useful  in  cases  of  severe  injury  or  of 
sudden  disease. 


^        — 


THE   MANNER  IN  WHICH   THE  LAST   STAll   OF   A   STABLE   MAT   BE   READILY   CONVERTED   INTO 
A   LOOSE   BOX. 


CHAPTER  XL 

HORSE  DEALERS — WHO   THEY  ARE,  THEIR  MODE   OP   DEALING,  THEIR 
PROFITS,  THEIR   MORALITY,  AND   THEIR   SECRETS. 

"All  horse  dealers  are  rogues  !"  Such  is  a  common  belief,  which  too 
many  persons  are  willing  to  indorse.  The  term  "horse  dealer,"  how- 
ever, embraces  individuals  of  very  adverse  and  of  entirely  different 
pursuits,  each  seeking  business  in  opposite  spheres ;  one  rjarely  meeting 
the  other ;  but  all  trading  with  the  animal,  though  with  a  very  dis- 
similar description  of  horse.  Horse  "copers"  and  horse  "chaunters" 
assuredly  buy  and  sell  horses.  So  far  they  are  entitled  to  be  called 
"horse  dealers;"  but  all  such  characters  are  unscrupulous  rogues. 
Most  liverymen,  and  the  various  people  who  live  in  a  mews,  or  write 
"job  master"  after  their  names,  dehght  in  "a  deal,"  when  they  can  con- 
template a  speedy  and  a  safe  profit.  Carters,  cab  proprietors,  farmers, 
and  the  heads  of  all  commission  stables  either  buy  or  sell — or  do  both 
occasionally — horses.  There  is  hardly  a  gentleman  in  Britain  who,  if 
buying  or  selling  an  animal  could  constitute  a  dealer  in  horses,  might 
not  wear  the  title.  The  genius  which  presides  over  an  auction  mart 
has  always  a  desire  to  knock  down,  to  himself,  any  very  cheap  lot; 
while  the  majority  of  blacklegs  and  of  men  about  town  can,  generally, 
inform  an  inquiring  friend  of  "the  very  spiciest  thing,"  which  will  "be 
given  away  for  the  merest  trifle. " 

Of  all  these  cheats,  for  all  are  ready  to  become  such  upon  opportunity, 
the  bad  one,  perhaps  the  least  suspected,  is  no  other  than  gentlemen 
who,  over  a  glass  of  wine,  will  reluctautly  part  with  a  "screw"  for  fifty 
times  the  value  of  its  carcass.  The  worst  specimen  of  unmitigated  im- 
position, having  any  pretense  to  fair  bargaining,  which  the  author  can 
>all  to  mind,  was  thus  palmed  off  upon  an  unsuspecting  friend.  The 
gentlemen  looked  fierce  and  talked  loud  when  expostulated  with,  having 
strong  motives  for  not  hearkening  to  reason.  There  are  always  one  or 
two  very  pleasant  fellows  of  this  stamp,  riding  after  every  pack  of 
hounds.  They  usually  are  careful  equestrians,  very  saving  of  their 
steeds,  excepting  when  near  to  some  youthful  member  of  the  hunt; 
then  the  rein  is  slackened  and  the  spur  quietly  applied.     But  of  all 

(357) 


358 


HORSE    DEALERS. 


the  impostors  who  practice  with  horses,  the  rankest  and  the  most  inde- 
fensible IS  the  scamp  who  advertises  "the  property  of  a  gentleman  de- 
ceased." Such  a  "dodge,"  judging  by  the  numbers  who  adopt  it,  must 
prove  a  paying  pursuit.  Yet  this  form  of  roguery  has  been  so  frequently 
exposed,  and  is  apparently  so  thoroughly  known,  it  becomes  difficult  to 
imagine  the  spell  by  which  its  daily  victims  are  fascinated. 


A  PEEP  INTO  A  dealer's  YARD. 


The  horse  dealers  of  whom  the  present  chapter  pretends  to  treat  be- 
long to  none  of  these  parties.  They  shun  the  mews,  and  each  possesses 
a  private  yard,  with  his  name  painted  above  it.  These  places  are  always 
scrupulously  clean.  The  entrances  are  ever  adorned  with  a  sprinkling 
of  fresh  sand.  Facing  the  gateway  is  a  covered  ride,  invariably  deeply 
littered  with  clean  straw.  On  one  side  of  this  ride  is  a  spotless  wall, 
opposite  to  which  there  exists  a  paved  space  or  broad  roadway.  On 
the  farther  edge  of  this  paved  space  stands  a  sort  of  cottage,  looking  as 


HORSE     DEALERS. 


359 


smart  as  new  paint  or  whitewash  can  render  it,  and  adorned  with  ali 
kinds  of  cockney  rusticity.  Here  resides  the  master, — a  person  favored 
with  a  goodly  presence,  and,  when  waiting  for  customers,  always  clothed 
in  spotless  apparel,  generally  of  a  sporting  character. 

This  tradesman  does  not  pretend  to  sell  cheap  horses.  Most  ignorant 
people,  however,  hunger  after  bargains,  and  out  of  such  desires  the 
numerous  dishonest  traders  make  their  market.  A  really  cheap  horse  is 
not  to  be  honestly  purchased  in  London.  Those  who  wish  for  such  an 
article,  should  follow  the  example  of  the  regular  dealer;  they  should 
travel  among  the  northern  breeders,  or  they  should  visit  the  far-oif  fairs, 
where  such  people  congregate.  If  to  do  this  involves  too  much  trouble, 
or  necessitates  too  great  an  expense,  then  they  should  be  content  to  pay 
those  persons  who,  in  the  way  of  business,  encounter  both  the  fatigue 
and  the  cost. 


THE  NIGHT  BKFORE  TUE  HORSE  FAIR. 


The  London  visitor  to  a  Yorkshire  farm  or  to  a  country  fair  must  not, 
however,  expect  that  any  cash  will  enable  him  to  pick  "the  field." 
Liberal  as  may  be  his  offers,  there  is  an  influence  which  can  take  prece- 
dence of  money.  On  the  farm  and  at  the  fair,  the  London  dealers  are 
expected,  and  generally  have  the  earliest  information  when  anything 
very  choice  is  for  sale.  Their  advent  is  anticipated  at  the  several  inns 
which  they  frequent;  their  arrivals  are  bruited  about,  long  before  deal- 


360  HORSE    DEALERS. 

ing  is  supposed  to  have  commenced.  All  breeders  are  anxious  to  sell 
to  these  notorieties.  Private  views  are  proffered  and  accepted ;  sales  or 
exchangesr'  are  made,  and  business  may  be  verj  brisk,  days  prior  to  the 
fair  beginning.  In  short,  too  many  gentlemen  visit  the  gathering  for 
amusement.  The  farmer  cannot  by  outward  signs  distinguish  such  from 
the  would-be  purchaser;  whereas  the  dealer  always  means  buying. 
This  constitutes  the  purpose  of  his  visit.  His  time  and  money  are 
wasted,  if  he  travels  far  and  makes  no  purchase.  The  certainty  about 
his  intentions,  as  well  as  the  prospect  of  securing  a  future  customer, 
insures  him  the  first  offer  from  all  who  have  colts  for  sale. 

The  legitimate  horse  dealers  are,  as  a  body,  most  honorable  and  highly 
respectable  men.  They  are  not  all  profoundly  educated,  though  there 
are  among  them  exceptions  even  in  this  respect;  but  in  their*  business 
with  mankind,  no  class  is  more  undervalued ;  no  class  is  more  exposed 
to  annoyance;  and  no  class  can  display  a  finer  sense  of  probity.  -  There 
is,  perhaps,  only  one  failing  that  could  be  justly  maintained  against  the 
entire  body :  that  one  may  not  be  denied,  although  it  is  easily  excused. 
They  are  habitual  liars !  In  the  way  of  trade,  no  horse  dealer  can 
speak  the  truth  concerning  any  animal  he  may  possess.  All  such  creat- 
ures are  without  fault,  trick,  or  blemish !  The  whole  stud  are  spotless 
pictures !     Each  and  every  one  must  be  perfect  1 

It' can-not  be  imagined  that  honest  people  delight  in  needless  lies. 
The  violation  of  a  moral  obligation  can  afford  no  gratification  to  an 
honorable  mind ;  but  when  a  large  body  of  men  exemplify  any  one  par- 
ticular failing,  it  may  be  reasonably  concluded  that  the  pressure  of  society 
has  induced  the  deficiency  which  we,  who  are  removed  from  the  crowd, 
must  not  too  severely  stigmatize.  The  public  well  know  that  a  faultless 
horse — one  perfect  in  form  and  pace — which  can  do  everything  and  can 
carry  anything — a  creature  without  a  "vice,"  and  free  from'  blemish — is 
a  species  of  sphinx,  which  the  oldest  equestrian  has  never  looked  upon. 
Yet  no  one  ever  enters  a  dealer's  yard,  except  he  be  hunting  after,  this 
impossible  perfection.  Were  the  willing  customer  met  with  candor; 
were  the  tradesman  to  show  his  stock,  and  truthfully  to  catalogue  the 
defects  of  each, — who,  to  reward  veracity,  would  purchase  the  confessedly 
faulty  articles  ?  No  one  1  Therefore  the  public  force  thQ  dealer  in  horses 
to  abjure  truth,  when  they  unite  and  they  insist  he  shall  possess  creatures 
which  in  this  world  are  known  to  be  positively  unattainable ! 

Society  is  clearly  answerable  for  the  dealer's  misstatements,  since  men 
will  only  visit  him  on  certain  terms,  which  declare  he  shall  lie  to  live, 
or  he  may  tell  tlie  truth  afld  starve.  His  customers  tacitly  unite  to  en- 
tangle the  man  in  a  web  of  falsehoods ;  while  not  one  of  these  persons, 
even  the  most  credulous,  believes  a  syllable  of  the  needless  assertions  t^. 


HORSE    DEALERS.  36i 

w^hich  they  listen.  No  one  accepted  a  horse  as  sound,  because  the  dealer 
protested  it  was,  "as  a  roach."  A  warranty  would  be  taken,  although 
the  oath  of  the  seller  should  attest  to  perfectibility  of  the  animal.  A 
species  of  fiction  is,  consequently,  employed  by  the  class  as  a  business 
requisite;  but  the  habits  of  trade  are  not  transplanted  into  the  trans- 
actions of  private  life.  The  author  has  known  tradespeople  among  horse 
dealers  whose  characters  were  as  estimable  and  whose  private  words 
were  as  trustworthy  as  those  of  any  gentleman  whose  friendship  he  has 
the  honor  to  enjoy. 

All  callings  have  certain  prides  or  weaknesses  in  which  the  community 
at  large  cannot  be  expected  to  sympathize.  Horse  dealers  are  not  ex- 
ceptions to  this  rule.  The  first  qualification  for  the  calling  is  the  recog- 
nition of  a  good  horse, — no  matter  where  or  under  what  circumstances 
it  may  be  seen.  With  the  recognition  must  also  exist  a  power  of  cor- 
rectly fixing  the  selling  price'or  the  marketable  value.  Complex  calcu- 
lation must  also  be  instantly  solved.  The  quadruped  may  be  lean  :  then 
must  be  estimated  the  time  and  the  money  requisite  to  promote  the  sell- 
ing condition.  The  animal  may  be  worn  out  with  unsuitable  employ- 
ment: then  must  be  reckoned  the  sum  which  will  train  it  to  a  more 
fitting  use.  The  creature  may  be  a  colt,  raw,  and  at  a  distance  from 
the  dealer's  home :  quick  as  thought,  however,  must  be  ascertained  the 
probable  cost  of  breaking  and  of  conditioning,  with  the  hazard,  etc.  at- 
tendant upon  a  long  journey.  These  things  must  be  summed  up  at  a 
glance;  and,  while  the  brain  is  engaged,  the  countenance  must  not 
betray  the  matter  of  cogitation. 

An  ability  to  do  this  is  the  attainment  which  enables  a  stout  person 
to  stand  the  center  of  a  group, — drinking,  laughing,  and  chatting ;  never- 
theless keeping  his  mind  so  steady  and  his  eye  so  clear  to  business  as, 
will  justify  him  in  purchasing  young  stock  which  has  only  been  once  led 
past  him.  All  horse  dealers,  however,  are  not  thus  gifted :  very  many 
live  to  repent  the  hasty  judgments  on  which  their  money  has  been 
staked ;  but  the  ideal,  to  which  all  aspire  and  which  not  a  few  certainly 
embody,  is  fairly  stated  in  the  above  qualifications  necessary  for  the 
successful  pursuit  of  the  trade. 

Not  the  easiest  portion  of  the  business  is  to.  form  a  just  estimate  of 
the  taste  of  the  customers ;  so  that  when  a  horse  is  shown,  the  purchaser 
may  ideally  behold  some  patron  upon  the  animal's  back ;  for  a  dealer 
rarely  likes  to  buy  without  he  can  discern  his  way  to  the  end  of  the 
transaction.  "Ah  I  just  Sir  WilHam's  .stamp  I"  "  Lady  Louisa  would 
give  her  heart  rather  than  miss  that,  after  having  seen  itl"  Or,  "The 
very  cut  for  Lord  Harry's  hunt !"  These,  and  similar  mental  ejaculations, 
are  at  once  acted  upon.     The  tastes  and  foibles  of  various  customers  are 


362 


HORSE    DEALERS. 


always  estimated.  It  is  astonishing  liow  seldom  comparatively  coarse 
and  uneducated  judgments  err,  though  all  such  calculations  may  not  in- 
variably succeed.  The  failures,  together  with  cheap  purchases,  however, 
constitute  the  ordinary  stock-in-trade  of  most  yards. 

The  foregoing  qualifications  are  imperative  in  first-rate  purchasers; 
but  other  accomplishments  are  also  requisite  in  the  perfect  dealer.  His 
manner  must  be  so  brusque  as  to  provoke  laughter ;  nevertheless  so  ap- 
parently simple  as  not  to  alarm  the  most  timid  customer.  This  suggests 
a  nice  medium;  but  it  is  astonishing  how  tenderly  some  unrefined  intel- 
lects will  embody  it.     The  stout  person  who,  as  jo\i  enter  the  gateway, 


THE   MAN,  QRACED  WITH   THE   SWEETEST   MANNERS,  WHO   SELLS  THE   HORSES. 


salutes  you  with  a  not  altogether  ungraceful  lift  of  the  hat,  and  rings  the 
bell  as  hfc  approaches  to  learn  your  wishes,  may  be  barely  able  to  read 
or  to  write.  In  a  particular  line  of  diplomacy,  however,  he  is  a  model 
worthy  study;  for,  smiling  as  his  face  may  be — bland  as  his  manners 


HORSE    DEALERS.  363 

are — or  studied  as  his  dress  appears — still,  he  is  reckoning  you  up  in  his 
own  mind ;  and  all  the  time  you  are  quizzing  him,  he  is  cunningly 
endeavoring  to  fathom  your  intentions  and  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of 
your  character. 

Certain  members  of  the  trade  possess  in  an  extraordinary  degree  a 
power  to  comprehend  the  unacknowledged  purpose  of  those  individuala 
whom  they  encounter.  Without  such  an  accomplishment,  no  man  is 
fitted  to  take  charge  of  the  yard ;  as,  unless  he  be  thus  qualified,  the 
horses  might  be  trotted  up  and  down  when  quiet  was  needed  to  rest  the 
bodies  or  to  lay  on  flesh. 

Gentlemen  who  do  not  exactly  know  their  own  minds,  very  rarely 
become  purchasers;  but  these  uncertainties  are  seldom  tired  of  seeing 
the  dealer's  stock  run  out  before  them.  Were  not  such  individuals  to  be 
recognized,  the  grooms  might  be  vexed,  the  master  might  be  fatigued, 
and  the  animals  might  be  plagued, — only  to  extort  a  verbal  promise 
"to  look  in  some  other  day."  Whereas  popular  prejudice  insists  that  on 
the  dealer's  premises  all  should  be  smiles — men  and  horses  must  appear 
overflowing  with  life — gay  and  happy  ;  as  though  the  place  sheltered  no 
anxiety,  and  none  within  it  knew  a  care. 

The  regular  horse  dealer  rather  avoids  than  encourages  customers 
who  are  called  "flats."  He  does  not  object  to  inexperience,  when  it 
will  rely  upon  his  generosity,  and  confide  itself  to  the  more  practical 
judgment  of  the  tradesman.  Such  a  person,  under  the  dealer's  guid- 
ance, perhaps  would  be  safer  than  he  would  be  in  the  hands  of  most 
fashionable  friends.  But  there  is  always  an  absence  of  welcome  when 
a  young  gentleman  lounges  into  the  yard,  who  wants  something  and 
never  buys  anything  until  he  has  been  thoroughly  taken  in. 

When  an  individual  presents  himself  to  the  attendant  of  the  ride,  it 
is  necessary  the  standing'  of  the  new  customer  should  be  ascertained 
before  any  quadruped  is  submitted  to  his  notice.  Curious  mistakes  are 
sometimes  made ;  but  it  is  now  understood  that  such  a  matter  must  be 
decided  prior  to  the  commencement  of  any  business.  This  arrangement 
saves  time,  and  also  secures  other  advantages ;  for,  obviously,  nothing 
could  be  gained  by  showing  "a  park  hack"  to  a  city  merchant;  neither 
would  much  satisfaction  be  expressed  were  the  animal  suited  to  drag  a 
spring  cart  submitted  to  the  notice  of  some  titled  turfite.  The  time 
would  be  wasted,  during  which  a  cob  worth  five  hundred  pounds  was 
paraded  before  a  person  whose  ideas  were  limited  to  something  under 
forty  guineas;  and  the  quiet  nag,  qualified  to  carry  age  with  safety, 
would  not  be  even  inspected  by  a  youngster  who  was  impatient  to  be 
mounted  upon  his  first  "May  bird." 

The  phrase  last  employed — "May  bird" — may  not  be  intelligible  to 


364 


HORSE     DEALERS. 


all  readers.  Therefore  the  equestrian  must  pardon  the  author,  if  he 
nere  interrupts  the  course  of  the  present  description  to  explain  its  mean- 
ing. A  "  May  bird "  implies  a  young  animal  of  no  great  height,  with 
some  showy  points,  but  with  no  constitution  to  stand  work.  These 
quadrupeds  are  kept,  during  the  spring  season,  in  the  stables  of  most 
London  dealers;  and  they  are  shown  to  young  gentlemen  as  handsome 
saddle  horses.  The  majority,  however,  soon  succumb  to  work;  many 
yield  as  the  warm  weather  increases ;  and  few  endure  even  to  a  second 
season. 


A   MAY   BIRD. 


To  establish  a  connection  requires  that  each  customer  should  be  better 
STiited  even  than  pleased.  Both  are,  of  course,  desirable ;  but  a  person 
well  suited  generally  becomes  well  pleased ;  wherea-s  the  individual 
whose  pleasure  is  alone  consulted,  not  being  suited,  is  certain  to  grow 
ultimately  dissatisfied.  Horse  dealing,  therefore,  is  attended  with  con- 
siderable anxiety ;  yet  the  members  of  the  calling  generally  grow  fat 
upon  such  a  diet.  Few,  when  of  middle  age,  retain  a  figure  fitted  for 
the  saddle,  although  nearly  all  have  been  good  and  fearless  horsemen 
during  youth.  The  pursuit,  however,  is  not  one  of  laziness ;  but  often 
obliges  the  endurance  of  great  bodily  and  mental  fatigue. 

All  dealers  travel  much.  They  always  attend  those  large  horse  fairs 
which  are  held  in  the  north  of  England.  Their  business  compels  them 
to  make  periodical  journeys  among  the  distant  breeders  of  stock.  When 
walking  over  the  breeder's  farm,  they  often  interrupt  conversation  to 
bid  for  some  foal;  and  may,  off-hand,  purchase  the  animal  wh.ch  shall 
please  their  fancy.     Business  always  seems  the  last  subject  wb!ch  oc- 


HORSE    DEALERS.  365 

cupies  the  dealer's  thoughts ;  nevertheless,  he  is  invariably  alive  to  the 
opportunities  of  trade.  Some  of  the  calling  will  buy  unbroken  or  very 
young  colts,  though  such  speculations  are  rather  exceptional  with  the 
general  body.  All,  however,  will  make  a  conditional  bargain  for  the 
"hkely  thing."  Such  transactions  are  arranged  in  few  words;  and 
though  no  writings  may  be  drawn  up,  these  understandings  are  usually 
observed  by  boA  parties  to  the  contract. 

At  the  successive  horse  fairs,  a  dealer  generally  occupies  the  same 
station.  His  back  may  rest  against  some  rail ;  and  here,  surrounded  by 
an  eager  group,  he  appears  the  most  gay  of  the  party.  Various  young 
horses  are  brought  and  run  before  him ;  for,  at  the  accustomed  spot,  the 
little  man  is  always  anticipated.  Some  horses  he  buys ;  others  he  rejects. 
Respectable  dealers  usually  accept  their  purchases  upon  no  better  se- 
curity than  their  personal  judgment.  They  ask  for  no  written  warranty ; 
a  verbal  assurance  that  "all  is  right,"  is  with  them  sufficient.  Though 
should  any  palpable  defect  or  injury,  which  has  undergone  treatment,  be 
subsequently  discovered,  of  course  the  bargain  is  void. 

But  low  or  sharp  tradesmen  are  very  particular  about  written  war- 
ranties; consequently  they  cannot  command  the  choice  of  the  market. 
Breeders  know  perfectly  well  the  dishonest  uses  to  which  a  written  war- 
ranty can  be  converted.  A  horse  may  be  sold ;  but  it  is  not  always  got 
rid  of  when  a  written  warranty  accompanies  the  sale.  It  may  be  taken 
to  London.  Months  afterward,  the  breeder  may  receive  a  letter  which 
shall  contain  a  veterinary  surgeon's  certificate  of  unsoundness,  stating 
that  lameness  or  "the  seeds  of  disease"  must  have  existed  at  the  time 
of  purchase.  This  letter  generally  concludes  with  a  demand  that'  the 
purchase  money  may  be  returned,  all  expenses  be  paid,  and  the  animal 
be  fetched  away;  or,  if  these  conditions  are  not  convenient,  the  late 
purchaser  will  consent  to  retain  the  horse,  supposing  twenty  pounds  of 
the  sum  formerly  received  are  forwarded  to  the  address  of  "your  humble 
servant." 

Now,  to  dispatch  a  man  to  town,  to  bring  an  animal  many  miles,  to 
risk  the  chances  of  the  journey,  to  return  a  sum  of  money  which  was 
probably  spent  as  soon  as  received,  and  lastly,  to  pay  for  several  months 
of  keep, — are  bad  conditions.  The  farmer  may  be  morally  convinced 
that  the  report  is  unfounded ;  but  he  has  three  choices  before  him : 
either  to  risk  an  action  at  law,  to  expend  a  considerable  sum,  or  to  be 
swindled  out  of  a  comparatively  small  amount.  Any  person  can  see 
which  of  such  terms  must  be  the  easiest  to  a  needy  man ;  and  the  last 
is  generally  accepted.  Thus,  by  a  dishonest  practice,  the  unscrupulous 
dealer  obtains  a  colt  cheap ;  especially  should  the  subsequent  sale  prove 
a  fortunate  transaction. 


^^Q  HORSE    DEALERS. 

The  honest  dealer  purchases  the  young  animal  when  fresh  from  the 
breaker's  hands,  before  a  day's  work  has  been  j^erformed,  and  has  the 
quadruped  led  or  conveyed  to  London.  If  the  journey  is  accomplished 
by  the  road  —  the  stages,  of  necessity,  being  shoi't — the  expense  and 
hazard  are,  of  course,  equal  to  the  time  occupied  on  the  way.  The 
railroad  is  a  cheaper  mode  of  transport ;  but  it  is  attended  with  a  cer- 
tain risk,  which  is  peculiarly  its  own.  Some  young  horses  will  perish 
from  the  fright  engendered  by  the  journey;  others  are  made  seriously 
ill  by  the  novelty  of  the  situation ;  while  many  knock  themselves  about, 
and  arrive  at  the  journey's  termination  seriously  blemished. 

Several  respectable  dealers  would  prefer  to  have  their  stock  rather 
killed  outright,  than  behold  it  seriously  blemished.  In  one  case,  the  loss 
is  by  no  means  certain;  in  the  other  instance,  the  pecuniary  sacrifice  is 
small,  when  compared  with  the  annoyance  and  the  trouble  consequent 
on  the  treatment  of  acute  suffering.  Besides,  all  dealers  dislike  to  have 
an  ailing  quadruped  on  their  premises,  which  they  are  desirous  should 
be  known  only  as  the  abode  of  happiness  and  of  health.  For  such 
reasons,  not  a  few  of  the  fraternity,  when  any  animal  may  be  diseased 
or  blemished,  invariably  dispose  of  it  for  whatever  it  will  fetch,  rather 
than  incur  the  chances  of  recovery,  or  open  their  gates  for  the  admit- 
tance of  damaged  stock. 

A  business  so  conducted — requiring  a  considerable  outlay,  necessita- 
ting heavy  risks  and  attended  with  frequent  losses — must  be  recommended 
by  certain  profits.  The  costs  of  every  dealer's  establishment  are  very 
serious.  Animals — especially  very  young  animals — make  no  immediate 
return.  The  charge  has  not  terminated  when  the  colts  are  stabled  in 
the  place  of  trade.  The  creatures  are  then  raw  and  wild.  They  have 
to  be  gradually  brought  into  selling  condition,  and  have  to  be  fattened 
till  unfit  for  work.  They  also  have  to  be  groomed  until  their  coats 
shine  "like  satin."  Such  are  the  olDligations  of  the  London  market; 
and  though  all  animals  in  this  state  are  dangerously  near  to  disease,  yet 
whoever,  inhabiting  the  metropolis,  should  attempt  to  dispose  of  horse 
property  in  a  more  sound  condition,  will,  in  the  certainty  of  loss,  be 
heavily  rebuked  for  his  temerity. 

Moreover,  when  fresh  from  the  country,  young  stock  have  to  be 
accustomed  to  the  bustle  and  noise  inseparable  from  the  streets  of  Lon- 
don. They  have  to  become  familiar  with  the  difference  of  handling, 
voice,  and  manner,  which  distinguishes  Yorkshire  from  Middlesex.  The 
dealer,  therefore,  has  some  further  employment,  after  his  purchases  are 
all  safe  in  his  stables.  He  has  to  rise  early,  before  respectability  is 
awake  to  watch  his  doings,  in  order  to  break  in  his  fresh  acquisitions. 
None  but  perfectly-trained  horses  are  suffered  to  go  out  into  the  thronged 


HORSE    DEALERS.  361 

thoroughfares.  An  animal  is  often  secreted  for  months  before  it  is 
permitted  to  "show  abroad,"  and  it  is  then  expected,  like  a  beauty  at 
Almack's,  "to  ravish  the  eyes  of  all  beholders."  Lastly,  the  dealer  in 
horses  has  to  endure  those  checks  and  disappointments  which  attend 
upon  every  known  speculation  with  life. 

Then,  if  not  sold,  the  quadrupeds  nevertheless  must  be  fed.  Thus 
several,  before  they  meet  a  purchaser,  "have  eaten  their  own  heads  off 
twice  over;"  or,  in  the  language  of  ordinary  life,  have  for  provender 
cost  more  than  their  selling  value.  No  reflective  man  can,  therefore, 
anticipate  a  London  dealer  is  to  dispose  of  his  stock-in-trade  at  what  is 
implied  by  "reasonable  prices."  Some  animals  may  fetch  double  or 
treble  the  purchase  money;  but  the  majority  do  little  beyond  paying 
their  expenses.  Nevertheless,  as  the  dealer  makes  the  selection,  his 
judgment  may  be  taunted,  should  he  not  choose  horses  that  shall  prove 
remunerative. 

We  shall,  however,  best  judge  of  the  enormous  profits  attending  this 
pursuit  by  considering  results,  as  exemplified  in  the  wealth  of  individuals. 
Perhaps  for  every  man  who  succeeds  in  the  business,  three  persons 
attempt  it  and  become  bankrupts.  The  fourth  man  may  do  a  large 
trade;  and,  spite  of  the  fickleness  of  fashion  or  the  accidents  of  the 
London  season,  may  maintain  a  position  for  several  years.  But  how 
seldom  is  society  startled  by  hearing  of  a  deceased  horse  dealer  having 
left  behind  him  any  vast  sum  of  money  to  "his  heirs  and  assigns  !"  On 
the  other  hand,  the  author  knows  of  many  instances  where  reputed 
thriving  dealers  have  refused  to  rear  their  children  to  their  own  caUing. 
Such  acts  do  not  denote  horse  dealing  to  be  a  highly  lucrative  specula- 
tion. Judging  from  long  experience,  the  author  would  not  point  to  the 
dealers  of  London,  as  a  body,  remarkable  for  the  possession  of  any  con- 
siderable amount  of  property. 

Carriage  horses  no  London  tradesman  professes  to  keep.  Thus  one 
source  of  profit  is  relinquished;  but  should  a  pair  of  extraordinary 
beauties  be  encountered,  when  "on  the  travel,"  these  will  be  secured; 
because  the  dealer  knows  there  is  always  a  market  for  such  commodities. 
The  treaty  for  the  transfer  of  these  rarities  may  even  have  been  con- 
cluded before  the  prizes  reached  the  marketable  age ;  for,  as  a  rule, 
extraordinary  quadrupeds  are  seldom  brought  into  the  common  market 
It  is  an  ambition  with  the  trade  to  point  to  a  pair  of  showy  bays  in  Her 
Majesty's  stables,  or  before  the  vehicle  of  an  exclusive  nobleman,  and  to 
boast  "those  horses  came  from  his  yard."  Of  such  scarce  opportunities 
every  dealer  will  joyfully  avail  himself;  but  there  are  many  cogent 
••easons  which  prevent  him  from  constantly  keeping  his  stables  supplied 
with  the  ordinary  kind  of  carriage  quadrupeds. 


368  HORSE    DEALERS. 

In  the  first  place,  the  horses  known  as  Cleveland  bays  are  costly  to 
purchase  and  expensive  to  keep.  These  creatures  soon  lose  condition, 
and  almost  as  rapidly  yield  to  disease.  Then,  their  sale  is  mostly  con- 
fined to  the  London  season.  If  not  disposed  of  during  their  third  year, 
age  does  not  increase  their  value.  Moreover,  there  are  parties  styled 
"large  job  masters  "  who,  almost  exclusively,  trade  in  this  kind  of  animal. 
These  persons  all  keep  extensive  studs,  some  of  the  body  being  said  to 
possess  more  than  a  thousand  horses  of  this  particular  description.  Such 
animals  are  let  out  by  the  year,  for  amounts  varying  from  fifty  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds ;  the  latter  sum,  however,  mostly  includes  a 
contract  to  supply  the  stables  also  with  food. 

Should  a  quadruped,  while  thus  engaged,  be  taken  ill,  the  owner 
receives  back  the  invalid,  and  fills  its  place  with  a  healthy  substitute. 
If  an  animal  is  not  approved  of,  it  can  always  be  exchanged.  Thus,  for 
a  fixed  sum,  a  carriage  is  nearly  certain  to  be  well  horsed ;  which,  when 
equine  episootics  prevail,  cannot  be  assured,  where  even  more  than  the 
necessary  pair  are  maintained.  The  gentleman  is  consequently  spared 
the  fruitless  trouble  of  searching  for,  and  the  great  expense  of  purchas- 
ing, those  horses  which  fashion  points  to  as,  2oar  excellence,  alone  fitted 
to  run  before  a  stylish  equipage.  The  person,  howevei",  who  lets  out 
the  animals  does  not  always  provide  the  food ;  very  rarely  does  he  pay 
the  cost  incurred  for  shoeing,  for  lodging,  or  for  attendance;  though,  for 
a  proper  consideration,  he  will  contract  to  provide  everything, — even  the 
carriage  in  which  his  patrons  shall  ride. 

The  owner  of  the  carriage  generally  has  to  find  shoes,  stables,  and 
servants,  the  jobbing  being  limited  to  the  horses  or  to  their  sustenance. 
Job  masters  are  generally  much  more  wealthy  than  dealers,  notwith- 
standing the  feeble  character  of  the  Cleveland  bays,  and  the  notorious 
want  of  care  bestowed  by  most  persons  who  hire  other  people's  prop- 
erty. Such  a  business  evidently  requires  some  tact  and  a  large  capital, 
to  be  successfully  pursued.  It  is  imperative  the  job  master  should  stand 
especially  well  with  the  servants  of  his  patrons.  Such  a  necessity  im- 
plies a  perpetual  drain  upon  the  pocket,  as  the  menial's  good-will,  if 
desired,  must  be  purchased.  Then,  there  is  a  large  body  of  retainers  to 
keep  and  to  trust.  The  employment  of  these  persons  is  to  loiter  about 
the  different  mews ;  to  treat  the  servants ;  to  coax  information  concern- 
ing masters'  habits  and  missuses'  exactions. 

Such  particulars  are  essential,  that  the  jobber  may  know  where  to 
place  his  animals.  Young  horses  would  be  battered  to  pieces  in  the 
service  of  a  lady  who  likes  to  be  driven  fast,  pulled  up  sharp,  or  who 
stays  "out  late  o'  nights."  An  elderly  jDerson,  who  never  ventures 
abroad  after  dark,  and  is  averse  to  speed,  has  the  carriage  sometimes 


HORSE    DEALERS.  369 

beautifully  horsed ;  because  such  stables  are  regarded  as  nurseries,  al 
though,  more  than  occasionally,  they  are  used  to  coax  a  sick  animal 
back  to  health.  Here  the  jobber's  understanding  with  the  coachman 
comes  into  play.  The  driver  makes  repeated  complaints  of  a  certain 
horse.  "It  nearly  overturned  them  to-day."  "The  servant  is  certain 
an  accident  must  happen."  "He  must  really  leave  a  kind  employer,  if 
that  horse  is  to  be  kept."  The  job  master  at  length  is  sent  for;  of  course 
he  is  deeply  pained;  but,  to  oblige  Lady  Everard,  he  most  reluctantly 
consents  to  receive  back  a  vigorous  young  horse,  and  agrees  to  supply 
its  place  with  a  debilitated  cripple,  which  has  but  recently  left  a  loose 
box  in  some  veterinary  establishment. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  may  appear  to  be  a  heavy  sum  to  pay 
annually  for  the  use  of  a  single  pair  of  horses ;  but  the  agreement  is  not 
strictly  of  this  nature.  The  job  master  contracts  to  keep  a  carriage 
horsed  for  one  year,  and  to  feed  the  animals  while  so  engaged.  To  do 
this  properly  will,  on  some  years,  require  the  services  of  four  or  five 
horses.  The  job  master  also  agrees  to  take  back  all  sick  quadrupeds, 
and  to  pay  for  all  necessary  treatment,  as  well  as  to  put  up  with  every 
kind  of  unavoidable  accident.  In  London,  moreover,  all  Cleveland  bays 
are  expected  to  possess  high  action.  Such  a  form  of  stepping  soon 
disables  the  feet;  while  the  bearing-rein  speedily  renders  the  animals 
"roarers." 

These  evils  are,  generally,  confirmed  before  the  advent  of  the  sixth 
birthday ;  thus,  few  of  the  quadrupeds  live  to  be  discarded, — in  proof  of 
which,  Cleveland  bays  are  not  to  be  generally  seen  upon  the  cab  rank : 
very  rarely  is  this  favorite  of  fashion  to  be  encountered  performing  any 
of  the  lower  grades  of  equine  service. 

With  these  creatures  the  London  dealer  does  not  habitually  meddle ; 
neither  does  he  pretend  to  regularly  trade  with  racing  stock,  although  it 
is  not  unusual  to  meet  in  his  stables  some  thorough-bred  which  was  at 
its  birth  entered  for  the  Derby.  These  bloods,  however,  are  always 
"weeds;"  or,  in  plain  language,  they  are  quadrupeds  which  have  been 
rejected  by  the  trainer  as  worthless.  Their  bodies  are  short,  and  lack 
substanc^;  their  chests  are  narrow;  while  their  long  legs  are  deficient 
in  bone  and  in  tendon.  Their  quarters  are  mean,  and  their  withers  low. 
One  or  two  of  this  kind  stand  in  the  stalls  of  most  dealers.  They  are 
pretty  and  graceful,  being  agile  and  light ;  but,  when  shown  to  a  cus- 
tomer, they  usually  stand  upon  slightly  rising  ground,  which  may  "acci- 
dentally "  give  to  them  an  extra  half  hand  of  height ;  for  such  specimens 
of  horse  flesh  are  all  of  stunted  growth. 

Hunters  are  not,  as  a  rule,  to  be  bought  in  London;  nor  does  the 
term,  in  strictness,  imply  any  particular  breed.     Animals  in  a  condition 

24 


370  HORSE    DEALERS. 

for  the  cliase  must  generally  be  sought  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  various 
"meets."  Nevertheless,  many  a  stout  horse,  which  would  make  an  ad- 
mirable hunter,  is  to  be  often  bought  of  a  London  dealer.  The  hand- 
some nag,  the  showy  brougham  horse,  the  spanking  trotter,  the  pretty 
May  bird,  etc. — in  short,  all  such  quadrupeds  as  ladies  admire,  and  as 
gentlemen  love  to  exhibit  during  "the  season,"  may  be  met  with  in  every 
regularly-appointed  yard. 


When  before  a  dealer,  if  the  gentleman  is  no  judge  of  a  horse,  or  has 
no  confidence  in  his  own  opinion,  he  should  not  attempt  to  be  thought 
wise  on  such  subjects.  The  salesman  may  not  stare  at  the  purchaser ; 
indeed,  the  trader  may  appear  impressed  with  an  overwhelming  idea  of 
the  customer's  importance,  as  he  humbly  asks  a  question  and  submis- 
sively waits  a  reply.  But,  long  before  the  first  animal  has  been  run  out, 
he  will  accurately  have  taken  the  measurement  of  his  patron.  The  man 
will  know  the  limits  of  his  visitor's  equestrian  attainments  as  perfectly 
as  though  they  had  been  companions  from  the  hour  of  birth. 

Never  demand  a  warranty.  Such  things  are  only  temptations  to  take 
proceedings.  They  may  influence  a  jury ;  but  the  plaintiff,  frequently, 
only  recovers  a  loss.  The  verdict  is  often  unjustly  given  against  a 
dealer  whom  a  gentleman  drags  into  court ;  but  private  or  extra  costs 
generally  consume  more  than  the  money  which  marks  the  difference 
between  a  legally  sound  and  a  tolerably  serviceable  quadruped.  All 
dealers  are  not,  in  attorney's  phraseology,  "worth  powder  and  shot." 


HORSE     DEALERS. 


"ill 


Rumors  about  law  may  render  the  tradesman's  creditors  pressing ;  while 
the  certainty  of  loss  may  induce  a  man  to  be  somewhat  careless  in  his 
expenditure.  Should  failure  anticipate  the  trial,  the  plaintiif  will  have 
to  pay  his  own  expenses;  for,  under  such  circumstances,  a  verdict  is 
simply  so  many  recorded  words,  awarding  nothing ! 

Noi'  is  the  seller  always  to  blame.  All  dealers  are  not  positive  judges 
of  soundness.  Moreover,  soundness  is  often  variable.  An  animal  may 
be  sound  in  the  morning,  unsound  at  noon,  and  sound  again  at  night. 
Life  is  fixed  to  no  one  condition.  A  man  may  be  well  when  he  rises, 
he  may  distraught  before  mid-day,  and  nevertheless  may  be  quite  hearty 
at  eve.  Horses  are  subject  to  temporary  influences,  like  those  which 
affect  their  masters.  But  society  will  regard  horses  and  saucepans  only 
as  articles  of  use.  A  wide  difference  divides  the  animate  from  the  inani- 
mate ;  but,  notwithstanding  the  advance  of  education,  mankind  have  yet 
to  observe  in  their  behavior  those  broad  distinctions  which  nature  has 
instituted  throughout  creation. 


"ANT  GENTLEMAN  AS    REALLY  WANTED  A   SOUND   AND  SERVICEABLE  BROCQUAM   HORSE,  J 
"WEU.1   Ton  MAT  SEND  HIM  TO  FIELD'S — AND  GET  HIM  EXAMINED." 


It  is  the  safer  and  the  better  plan  for  a  gentleman  not  to  bother  abou;*; 
soundness.     To  keep  his  ideas  fixed  upon  the  horses  only  to  discover 


3t2  HORSE    DEALERS. 

wliether  these  are  equal  to  his  desires.  He  sees  a  horse  run  up  and 
down  the  ride;  observes  its  manner  of  going;  notes  its  make,  shape, 
and  height;  remarks  its  color;  ascertains  the  price,  and  roughly  esti- 
mates its  qualities.  But  he  had  better  not  finger  the  animal,  or  attempt 
to  investigate  matters  which  concern  more  than  his  personal  approval. 
Having  seen  these  things,  when  the  dealer  begins  to  talk,  he  had  better 
turn  upon  his  heel,  and  do  no  more  than  order  the  quadruped  to  be  taken 
to  the  veterinary  surgeon  who  may  be  honored  with  his  confidence. 

The  horse  dealer  generally  feels  his  opportunity  has  opened  when  the 
gentleman  meddles  with  matters  which  he  does  not  fully  comprehend ; 
and  very  few  gentlemen  are  qualified  to  act  as  veterinary  surgeons.  By 
adhering  to  the  above  plan,  the  purchaser  is  the  more  likely  to  please 
himself  by  his  selection,  and  is  certainly  less  likely  to  be  imposed  upon. 
The  attention  is  steadily  fixed  upon  the  individual  points  of  recommenda- 
tion, and  the  mind  refuses  to  enter  upon  scientific  questions  concerning 
which  the  non -professional  man  cannot  be  instructed. 

The  examiaation  being  passed,  before  the  money  is  paid  the  quad- 
ruped is  either  saddled  or  harnessed,  and  is  tried  by  the  contemplating 
purchaser.  When  mounted  upon  or  when  sitting  behind  a  strange 
horse,  no  person  should  indulge  any  attempt  at  display.  The  object 
being  to  ascertain  the  acquirements  of  the  steed,  the  rider  should  allow 
free  scope  to  its  humors,  and  should  encourage  its  confidence.  Employ 
neither  whip  nor  spur.  Reject  such  articles,  if  they  are  offered.  A 
good  animal  will  necessitate  no  coercion;  but  severity  may,  possibly, 
disguise  either  good  or  bad  qualities.  Should  chastisement  be  impera- 
tive, refuse  to  administer  it ;  but  reject  a  sluggish  animal.  Allow  the 
reins  to  be  almost  loose :  let  the  creature  go  its  own  pace,  and  take  its 
own  road :  watch  every  movement,  however,  and  carry  the  bridle  hand 
ready  to  check  or  to  support,  should  either  become  necessary. 

A  lively  and  desirable  nag  should  answer  to  the  voice.  Often  the 
intention  will  be  comprehended,  when  no  sound  is  uttered.  There  is  a 
speedy  and  mysterious  freemasonry  soon  established  between  an  intelli- 
gent nag  and  a  proficient  equestrian.  This,  it  is  desirable,  should  be 
developed.  When  the  rider  or  driver  is  seated,  he  should  reject  all 
further  service  from  the  groom.  Permit  the  horse  to  walk,  trot,  canter, 
gallop  or  bolt  out  of  the  yard :  should  it  go  quietly,  watch  its  head  and 
ears  as  it  passes  through  the  gateway.  Many  young  quadrupeds  will 
be  alarmed  during  such  a  passage;  some  will  evince  their  feeling  by 
very  demonstrative  behavior.  Therefore,  allow  no  man  to  hold  the 
rein,  and,  under  a  pretense  of  attention  to  the  gentleman,  give  confi- 
dence to  the  nag,  now  controlled  by  a  strange  master. 

Should  the  first  trial  not  answer  expectation,  the  treaty  ought  not 


HORSE    DEALERS.  3T3 

therefore  to  be  abruptly  broken  off.  Many  a  promising  and  a  valuable 
horse  is  thus  cast  upon  the  dealer's  hands,  the  estimable  qualities  0/ 
which  a  little  patience  would  have  made  apparent.  But  a  good  horse 
may  require  to  be  educated,  before  it  will  carry  a  certain  master  as  he 
desires ;  this  reason  forms  an  almost  unsurmountable  objection  to  any 
conclusion  being  just,  which  is  based  upon  a  solitary  trial.  Most 
dealers,  if  they  know  the  animal  should  suit,  will  grant  a  fortnight's 
further  acquaintance,  before  the  bargain  is  concluded.  The  terms  gener- 
ally are,  that  if  the  sale  is  broken  off,  then  the  gentleman  pays  for  the 
services  he  has  engrossed :  should  the  treaty  be  ratified,  then  the  pur- 
chase money  covers  all  demands,  the  purchaser  paying  only  for  the 
provender  consumed  during  his  period  of  hesitation. 

In  every  horse  transaction,  treat  the  tradesman  with  consideration. 
Many  gentlemen,  when  speaking  to  a  dealer,  assume  a  familiarity  which 
is  an  impertinent,  and  not  unseldom  proves  to  be  an  expensive,  affecta- 
tion. Others  adopt  a  superciliousness  which  is  very  offensive  and  rather 
dangerous;  for,  while  the  customer  is  supporting  a  foreign  behavior, 
the  dealer  may  be  humoring  the  whim,  and  covertly  flattering,  though 
watching  his  opportunity  for  revenge.  Above  all  things  never  lose  your 
temper,  or  by  your  language  violate  the  rules  of  decency;  as,  by  so 
doing,  you  descend  to  a  level  where  you  are  certain  to  be  mastered. 
These  cautions  must  be  observed  during  personal  intercourse.  With 
respect  to  the  rest.  Avoid  lawyers.  This  is  the  more  easily  done,  if 
the  few  directions  here  laid  down  are  rigidly  adopted. 

Dealers  are,  generally,  very  accommodating  in  their  trade  transactions. 
They  will  do  anything,  excepting  return  money ;  a  condition  with  which 
most  of  them  are  not  able  to  comply.  They  will  take  back  an  animal 
which  does  not  suit.  They  will  allow  the  dissatisfied  gentleman  to 
walk  through  their  stables,  and  to  choose  another  horse,  on  the  terms 
that  the  choosing  party  pays  the  difference  of  price  between  the  nag 
which  has  been  sent  back  and  the  steed  which  is  afterward  preferred. 
To  be  sure,  such  exchanges  are  apt  to  prove  costly,  and,  generally,  are 
prosecuted  very  much  to  the  dealer's  advantage.  Therefore,  a  gentle- 
man has  reason  for  suppressing  his  discontent;  and  may  do  well  to 
endure,  a  little  longer,  the  quadruped  which  originally  pleased  him,  and 
which  may  turn  out  an  estimable  acquaintance  after  the  first  qualms  of 
early  proprietorship  have  subsided. 

If  dealers  have  an  aversion,  it  is  to  be  bothered  by  the  visit  of  a 
"greenhorn,"  who  does  not  know  exactly  what  he  wants.  Consequently 
everybody,  before  entering  the  premises,  should  ascertain  his  desires. 
He  must  not  request  "to  see  an  animal  fit  to  run  in  a  gig,  but  which  can 
carry  saddle  occasionally."     He  should  not  inquire  for  "a  nag  which  he 


3?4  HORSE    DEALERS. 

or  his  sister  can  ride."  He  must  ask  to  behold  a  horse  fit  only  for  one 
purpose.  If  to  be  ridden,  the  weight  of  the  rider  should  be  stated,  and 
the  age  of  the  equestrian  is  likewise  desirable,  as  well  as  the  habits — 
that  is,  whether  the  gentleman  is  old  or  is  young,  is  used  to  the  saddle, 
or  is  about  to  take  horse  exercise  for  the  first  time,  under  medical  advice. 
These  things  are  necessary,  that  the  dealer  may  judge  of  the  strength, 
the  spirit,  and  the  temper  which  will  answer  a  purchaser's  expectation. 

So  also  when  a  brougham  horse  is  wanted,  the  weight  of  the  vehicle 
should  be  given.  If  a  harness  horse  is  sought,  it  ought  to  be  named, 
with  the  kind  of  conveyance  the  animal  is  required  to  pull.  If  a  car- 
riage needs  a  quadruped,  other  than  a  Cleveland  bay,  every  particular 
should  be  detailed,  the  dealer  being  also  asked  to  step  round  and  to  look 
at  the  creature  which  it  is  desired  to  match.  Nothing  is  better  calcu- 
lated to  win  a  dealer's  respect  than  to  have  such  points  ready;  for, 
though  these  may  give  some  trouble  to  the  novice,  they  occur  as  matters 
of  course  to  the  practiced  proprietor.  Moreover,  such  particulars  save 
much  vexation,  and  prevent  the  horses  being  needlessly  disturbed — an 
occurrence  which  invariably  annoys  the  best-tempered  of  tradesmen. 

When  you  enter  a  yard,  never  request  to  see  "the  horses."  Such  a 
demand  is  a  lamentable  confession.  Ask  to  speak  with  the  proprietor 
or  with  the  salesman.  State  what  you  wish  to  obtain.  Be  precise, 
even  to  particulars;  and  inquire  if  there  is  such  an  animal  among  the 
stock.  The  reply  most  probably  will  be  negative.  Then  ask  if  the 
person  you  are  addressing  knows  of  such  a  creature,  and  could  procure 
you  an  inspection.  Very  likely  an  appointment  for  some  future  day 
will  be  embodied  in  the  reply  given  to  the  last  interrogatory.  Then  you 
must  retire  immediately,  and  patiently  wait  the  promised  opportunity. 

Never  be  in  a  hurry,  or  exhibit  any  impatience,  in  the  yard  of  a 
dealer.  Take  everything  coolly,  and  act  as  though  it  were  far  from  your 
desire  to  look  at  horses  or  to  walk  through  stables.  Greenhorns  are 
always  greedy  concerning  such  particulars.  Consult  the  master;  rather 
confide  in  his  judgment  and  trust  to  his  activity,  than  display  any  forward- 
ness to  encounter  personal  responsibility  and  to  undergo  bodily  fatigue. 
Horses  are  numerous,  and  dealers  are  always  eager  to  effect  a  sale; 
therefore  be  quiet  and  rather  reserved,  being  conscious  that,  to  procure 
the  animal  which  shall  exactly  suit  in  every  particular,  cannot  be  a  very 
ready,  a  very  easy,  or  a  very  speedy  affair. 

When  buying,  always,  in  regard  to  strength,  purchase  a  horse  rather 
above  than  in  any  degree  below  the  purpose  you  have  in  view;  or,  in 
other  words,  obtain  an  animal  apparently  too  strong,  in  preference  to  a 
little  too  weak  or  just  strong  enough,  for  the  work  it  is  wanted  to 
perform.     Do  this,  because  strength  denotes  value  when  labor  has  to  be 


HORSE    DEALERS.  375 

executed;    and  most  men   are   cruel  judges,  where  the   exertions   o^" 
another's  life  are  concerned. 

Always  enter  a  dealer's  yard  prepared  to  pay  for  that  which  you  seek ; 
for,  in  horses,  the  cheap  is,  to  the  general  public,  the  worthless.  Bone 
and  muscle,  united  to  spirit  and  activity,  will  always  bring  their  value, 
and  are  the  cheaper,  because  they  will  endure  longer  than  a  dozen  of 
those  lanky  and  misshapen  substitutes  which  are  disgracefully  over- 
weighted in  the  majority  of  genteel  broughams  which  traverse  the 
streets  of  London. 

However,  pay  what  he  may,  no  unknown  individual,  walking  into  a 
dealer's  yard,  should  expect  to  have  the  positive  choice  of  all  the  trader's 
stock.  Anything  very  good  is  never  offered  to  a  stranger,  who  can  boast 
of  no  better  recommendation  than  his  banker's  account.  In  country 
meetings,  at  fairs,  and  at  public  sales,  the  highest  bidder  has  a  better 
chance,  though  at  these  places  the  market  is  commonly  forestalled ;  but 
the  dealer  knows  by  experience  how  diflScult  it  is  to  procure  a  prime 
piece  of  horse  flesh.  When  he  gets  such  a  treasure  into  his  hands,  the 
feelings  of  his  class  will  not  allow  him  to  throw  away  his  good  fortune. 
A  fair  equivalent  or  a  heavy  price  can  be  everywhere  obtained ;  but  the 
one  chance  of  years — the  beauty  which  is  rarely  seen  and  scarcely  to  be 
purchased — is  always  regarded  as  something  out  of  the  sphere  of  regu- 
lar business.  The  dealer  hoards  such  a  treasure,  and  hopes  to  behold  it 
where,  for  a  number  of  years,  it  will  remain  an  honor  to  his  judgment, 
and  a  living  proof  that  its  late  master  has  dealings  with  the  most  ex- 
alted of  England's  aristocracy  1 

In  this  country,  a  good  horse  will  always  fetch  its  value,  and  that 
price  includes  something  more  than  money.  This  is  the  reason  why 
plain  Mr.  Smith,  who  is  known  to  pay  the  highest  prices,  never  can  ex- 
hibit a  vehicle  so  well  horsed  as  are  Her  Majesty's  carriages.  The  gen- 
tleman's animals  even  do  not  shine  forth,  when  compared  with  those 
possessed  by  some  fashionable  but  notoriously  poor  scion  of  nobility. 
The  feelings  of  the  dealers  are  opposed  to  Mr.  Smith's  ambition ;  not- 
withstanding treble  his  money  were  expended,  he  could  not  be  gratified 
by  commanding  the  excellence  which  his  superiors  may  purchase  toler- 
ably cheap. 

There  is,  however,  in  London  too  much  eagerness  to  possess  a  well- 
furnished  stable,  for  a  really  fine  animal  ever  to  be  cast  upon  the  open 
market.  The  tradesman,  when  he  sees  a  prime  quadruped,  buys  it  always 
with  a  mental  determination  as  to  the  person  best  qualified  to  be  the 
future  proprietor.  The  differences  between  the  sums  paid  will  not,  there- 
fore, fully  account  for  the  noble  creatures  which  inhabit  the  stables  of  my 
lord,  and  the  respectable  lot  which  consume  moneyed  Mr.  Smith's  corn. 


STft 


HORSE    DEALERS. 


The  existence  of  sucli  an  influence  will  no  doubt  be  denied  by  most 
established  dealers,  as  it  will  assuredly  be  abjured  by  all  the  outside 
members  of  the  fraternity.  The  struggling  tradesman  is,  however,  not 
likely  to  be  tempted  by  such  a  possession.  A  Yorkshire  breeder  watches 
his  stock  from  the  day  of  birth.  No  sooner  does  the  practiced  eye 
notice  the  promise  of  extraordinary  worth,  than  the  most  liberal  of  Lon- 
don purchasers  is  invited  to  travel  northward  and  to  consider  its  probable 
value.  Any  trade  connected  with  horses  must  therefore  be  of  a  specu- 
lative character;  and  a  fine  foal  is  sometimes  partly  paid  for  before  the 
first  year  has  been  attained.  A  kind  of  deposit  is  made,  to  secure  the 
offer  of  the  animal  when  fit  for  the  market — the  money  being  lost  should 
the  purchase  not  be  completed,  but  the  sum  being  deducted  fi*om  the 
price  should  the  dealer  agree  to  perfect  the  transaction.  Thus  the  prin- 
cipal traders  incur  great  risks,  and  in  return  secure  a  legitimate  power 
of  selection,  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  public  market. 


UNCLOTHINO   THE   BEAUTY. 


When  a  promising  colt  approaches  the  period  of  publicity,  the  greatest 
possible  care  is  devoted  to  its  developments  and  to  its  education.     It  is 


HORSE    DEALERS.  317 

not  exposed  to  the  common  gaze.  No  Eastern  slave  merchant  regards 
with  greater  jealousy  the  flower  of  his  female  flock  than  does  the  London 
dealer  survey  what  he  believes  will,  in  his  sphere,  prove  "the  prize  of 
the  season."  The  door  of  its  stable  is  constantly  locked.  All  its  re^ 
quirements  are  profusely  supplied.  It  is  never  taken  abroad,  save  when 
fully  clothed  and  closely  hooded.  Only  before  the  earliest  hour  of  busi- 
ness or  after  the  gates  have  been  shut  upon  the  bustle  of  the  day  does 
the  dealer  feast  his  eyes  upon  the  bare  perfections  of  his  treasured  pos- 
session. The  ceremony  of  unveiling  is  then  slowly  performed,  and  every 
particular  is  minutely  examined,  lest  unforeseen  accident  should  have 
interfered  with  the  realization  of  equine  loveliness. 

The  pursuits  of  the  dealer,  therefore,  are  not  without  excitement,  are 
not  devoid  of  care,  nor  free  from  trouble.  His  stock-in-trade  is  very 
perishable,  and  is  peculiarly  exposed  to  deterioration.  But  most  of  these 
people  seem  to  fatten  on  anxieties.  They  generally  are  a  heavy,  a  happy- 
looking,  and  a  corpulent  race ;  but,  like  all  people  who  engage  in  a  busi- 
ness which  admits  of  no  standard  of  excellence  but  success,  the  estab- 
lished dealer  in  horses  has  an  overwhelming  notion  of  his  own  abilities. 
This  is  the  weak  point  in  his  general  character.  Science  is  ridiculed, 
and  the  results  of  experience  are  despised,  when  either  are  opposed  to 
the  personal  opinion  of  the  yard.  Consequently,  few  of  the  calling  con- 
sult a  veterinary  surgeon.  In  the  mysteries  of  disease  and  in  the  prop- 
erties of  medicine  they  acknowledge  no  superior ;  for  the  owner,  com- 
monly, is  the  possessor  of  secret  nostrums  which  he  esteems  to  be  of 
marvelous  efiScacy. 

After  the  gates  have  excluded  the  confusion  of  the  street,  the  dealer 
usually  walks  through  his  stables,  attended  by  his  head  groom.  Then 
frequently  such  orders  as  the  following  are  issued :  "  Jim !  Get  a  cor- 
dial; this  young  thing  is  scouring!"  "Jim!  Let  Hartley's  bay  have  a 
warm  mash,  and  shake  an  alterative  into  it."  "Jim!  Mind  me  to- 
morrow, that  Clement's  chestnut  wants  blooding — the  legs  are  filling." 
"A  pinch  of  diuretic  would  do  no  harm  here.  Jim !  Break  me  half  a 
one  from  the  locker  1"  "  Jim  1  Somehow,  this  brown  youngster  don't 
mend  kindly.  It  must  be  some  flying  humors ; — prepare  him  for  physic." 
"As  for  Blossom,  I'm  tired  of  seeing  her.  She  has  eaten  her  head  twice 
over!  Well  I  well!  Jim.  Well,  give  her  a  condition  ball;  and  perhaps 
some  greenhorn  may  fancy  her  to-morrow." 

To  dabble  with  danger  is  the  last  madness  of  conceit.  Persons  thus 
imprudent  will  not  bear  to  be  carelessly  approached  or  slightingly  ad- 
dressed. Such  an  infirmity  is  soon  provoked  to  impertinence.  The 
reader,  therefore,  will  be  only  rendered  more  safe,  who  observes  every 
recognized  form  of  courtesy  when  treating  with  the  dealer.    This  is  best 


3T8  HORSE    DEALERS. 

done  by  avoiding  that  silly  familiarity  wliicli  must  be  insulting  to  the 
sensible  man,  but  which  the  knave  likes,  because  it  affords  opportunities 
for  his  practices.  Let  the  gentleman  keep  his  proper  station,  and  the 
dealer,  without  being  offended,  will  observe  his.  But,  before  the  yard 
is  entered,  above  all  things  it  is  imperative  to  ascertain  what  is  desired, 
as  neither  civility  nor  compliance  will  be  elicited  by  a  general  request 
for  "a  horse."  When  the  animals  are  being  shown,  let  the  contemplating 
purchaser  be  silent.  He  must  not  allow  any  false  notion  of  his  eques- 
trian knowledge  to  betray  him  into  a  discussion  or  expose  him  to  de- 
signing compliments.  Keep  the  head  cool  and  the  attention  clear.  Do 
not  finger  the  animal.  Decline  all  invitations  to  feel  the  condition  of  its 
legs.  Undervalue  your  own  accomplishments,  by  professing  not  to  com- 
prehend such  things;  and  leave  the  premises  with  the  understanding 
that  the  horse  is  to  pass  the  examination  of  some  veterinary  surgeon  of 
repute. 

The  dealer  will  not  submit  the  quadruped  of  known  unsoundness  to 
such  a  test ;  because,  in  case  of  rejection,  the  property  is  not  only  de- 
teriorated, but  the  owner  has  to  pay  for  the  process  which  casts  a  taint 
upon  his  stables:  whereas,  should  the  examination  be  passed,  the  pur- 
chaser takes  the  nag  and  pays  for  the  certificate  which  assures  him  of 
its  value.  These  things  being  done,  before  the  bargain  is  concluded 
always  specify  for  a  trial,  which  can  alone  inform  the  future  master  of 
mattei*s  most  essential  to  his  personal  pleasure,  but  which  no  veterinary 
inspection  could  discover.  It  is  prudent  to  attend  to  these  particulars ; 
and  it  is  folly  to  imagine  a  warranty  can  shelter  the  person  who  know- 
ingly disregards  the  security  which  these  alone  can  afford. 

The  customer  is  thus  fenced  in  or  protected  on  all  sides.  The  con- 
duct of  the  dealer  should  declare  the  personal  opinion  of  the  man  who  is 
best  acquainted  with  the  animal.  The  professional  judgment,  being  de- 
liberately pronounced  and  duly  certified,  guards  the  points  where  a  gen- 
tleman's knowledge  may  be  deficient ;  while  the  trial  permits  the  indi- 
vidual to  ascertain  such  traits  as  mouth,  temper,  habits,  step,  spirit  and 
mode  of  going.  After  sucl>  qualities  are  approved,  the  horse  may  be 
safely  accepted ;  and  no  warranty  can  be  necessary,  if  the  above  direc- 
tions are  observed. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

POINTS — THEIR  RELATIVE   IMPORTANCE,  AND  WHERE   TO  LOOK  FOR  THETR 

DEVELOPMENT. 

A  GENTLEMAN,  when  designing  to  purchase  a  liorse,  should  think 
about  the  matter,  and  should  determine,  in  his  own  mind,  the  kind  of 
animal  he  desires  to  obtain.  The  want  of  such  definite  knowledge  is  the 
great  deficiency  with  the  majority  of  would-be  buyers,  and  is  the  chief 
cause  of  those  annoyances  which,  ultimately,  tempt  too  many  well-dis- 
posed persons  into  dishonest  company. 

Having  settled  the  minutest  particulars  to  his  own,  satisfaction,  the 
gentleman  should  never  seek  to  secure  a  cheap  article.  Knowing  as 
may  be  the  general  public,  horse  dealers  are  quite  up  to  the  mark  of 
popular  cunning.  Goodness  in  horse  flesh  is  money's  worth  at  any 
market ;  and  every  horse  dealer  in  London  is  fully  sensible  to  the  merit 
as  well  as  to  the  value  of  all  creatures  in  his  yard.  Therefore,  the  gen- 
tleman will  best  court  civility  and  honesty  by  being  prepared  to  give  a 
fair  price  for  that  excellence  which  he  is  desirous  of  securing. 

The  above  maxim  must  be  attended  to,  because  a  feeling  person,  when 
he  buys  a  horse,  will  be  sensible  he  is  taking  a  new  member  into  his 
family.  No  right-minded  man  can  ever  treat  life  as  it  were  an  inanimate 
article ; — to  be  accepted  at  his  will  and  to  be  discarded  at  his  pleasure. 
A  lasting  bond  should,  through  ownership,  be  formed  between  mute 
submission  and  honored  authority ;  for  man,  having  the  right  of  choice, 
tacitly  undertakes  to  shelter  and  to  protect,  as  a  return  for  willing  serv- 
ice rendered.  Such  is  the  implied  or  natural  agreement :  its  obligations 
ought  to  enforce  that  gentleness  which  should  guard  the  inferior. 

To  fit  the  reader  for  exercising  a  right  of  selection  in  a  dealer's  yard, 
is  the  intention  of  the  author.  The  gentleman  who  peruses  this  page 
must,  therefore,  pardon  an  impertinence  if,  in  the  following  descriptions, 
he  is  treated  as  one  entirely  ignorant  of  horse  flesh.  When  all  must  be 
addressed,  it  is  clearly  impossible  to  make  allowance  for  degrees  of  learn- 
ing. The  most  ignorant  must  be  made  to  understand,  and  the  best  in- 
formed must  generously  overlook  those  discursions  which,  disregarding 
personal  attainments,  appeal  to  the  condition  of  the  uninitiated.     To  be 

(Bid) 


380 


POINTS. 


intelligible,  it  will  be  necessary  the  author  should  point  out  the  import- 
ance of  certain  structures,  and  explain  the  uses  which  appertain  to  par- 
ticular oi'gans  or  parts  of  the  animal  economy. 

The  skeleton  is  the  framework  of  the  trunk  and  of  the  limbs.  The 
vertebrge  are  the  base,  toward  which  all  the  other  bones  concentrate,  or 
from  which  all  the  other  osseous  parts  originate.  Therefore,  to  start 
from  the  commencement,  we  see  at  one  end  of  the  back-bone  the  skull  is 
situated ;  while  at  the  other  extremity  the  tail  is  pendent.  The  arrange- 
ment exactly  accords  with  the  system  observed  in  every  well-regulated 
vessel.     The  sailor  wlio  is  appointed  to  look  out,  stands  forward ;  while 


THE   SPECIAL   CSE  OP   THE   HEAD,  MANE,   AND   TAIL,  WHEN   EMPLOYED   TOGETHER. 


the  individual  who  steers  is  always  stationed  at  the  poop.  The  tail,  in 
the  quadruped,  principally  directs  the  course.  Hence  we  perceive  the 
folly  of  those  people  who,  to  gratify  a  whim,  excise  or  mutilate  the 
motor  integrity  of  so  important  a  part :  thus  sacrificing  positive  safety 
to  a  false  notion  of  improved  appearance. 

The  animal,  gazing'  in  the  direction  which  it  desires  to  proceed  upon, 
inclines  the  body  toward  that  point ;  while  the  tail,  being  likewise  moved 
in  an  opposite  course,  sways  the  trunk  into  the  proper  track.  The 
flowing  hair,  operated  upon  by  the  wind,  gently  favors  the  inclination. 
By  understanding  this,  the  reader  will  comprehend  the  reason  why  a 
short  tail  is  rarely  compatible  with  perfect  safety.  The  appendage, 
which  mankind  regard  as  chiefly  of  service  to  switch  away  the  flies, 
therefore  has  a  higher  and  far  more  important  function  assigned  to  it. 


POINTS.  381 

The  want  of  alacrity  in  avoiding  clanger  is  justly  esteemed  a  great 
defect;  but  what  right  had  man  to  complain  of  his  dumb  companion's 
tardiness,  when,  to  gratify  a  caprice  or  to  conform  with  the  fashion,  he 
deprived  his  servant  of  the  agent  by  which  all  sudden  motions  were 
regulated  ?  Happily,  however,  the  barbarous  custom  which  once  pre- 
vailed is  now  generally  discarded;  although  docking  is  even  at  the 
present  moment  occasionally  practiced,  under  a  notion  of  improving  de- 
ficient quarters,  while  thinning  the  tail  and  mane  are  commonly  adopted 

Nevertheless,  the  reader  of  any  experience  can  hardly  have  failed  to 
remark  that,  since  the  practice  of  mutilation  has  become  less  general, 
those  fearful  horse  accidents  which  during  the  old  coaching  days  were  of 
almost  hourly  occurrence,  have  not  so  frequently  shocked  the  sensibilities 
of  society. 

Such  a  circumstance  cannot  be  accounted  for  by  the  smaller  number 
of  animals  at  present  retained  for  private  use.  It  is  well  ascertained 
that  railways,  which  it  was  originally  supposed  would  prove  detrimental 
to  the  breed  of  horses,  have  had  a  decidedly  opposite  tendency,  the  ani- 
mals being  about  twice  as  numerous  as  they  were  during  any  previous 
period.  Thus,  with  more  universal  distribution,  greater  security  has 
been  attained;  and  we  perceive,  in  general  operation,  only  the  one  cause 
to  which  present  security  can  be  assigned.  Masters  are  not  much  more 
prudent  now  than  they  were  formerly ;  while  fast  coaches  were  not  the 
sole  causes  of  the  catastrophes  of  our  fathers'  days;  neither  did  such 
vehicles  start  at  every  hour  nor  travel  upon  every  road. 

The  turning  or  guiding  power  having  been  pointed  out,  the  attention 
must  next  be  directed  to  the  region  where  all  strength  centers,  and  from 
which  all  ability  for  motion  proceeds. 


THE  BACK  OP  THE  HORSE,  AS  SEEN  FROM  ABOVE. 

When  the  reader  has  been  riding  in  any  vehicle  and  looking  down 
upon  the  spine  of  the  horse,  he  can  hardly  have  failed  to  remark  that  the 
widest  portion  of  the  body  was  the  prominence  of  the  hip-bones.  The 
posterior  parts,  or  those  behind  the  projections,  are  not  continuous  of 
size;  but  they  nevertheless  are  far  more  bulky  and  altogether  more 
fleshy  than  any  of  the  forward  surfaces  of  the  body.  Flesh  is  only 
another  term  for  muscle;  consequently  where  flesh  is  most  conspicuous, 
strength  most  resides.     The  muscles  of  the  hind  limbs  spring  from  a 


882  POINTS. 

large  bone,  variously  named  in  common  parlance  as  the  haunch -bone  or 
the  pelvic-bone.  It  is  also  spoken  of  by  anatomists  as  the  os  innomi- 
nata.  This  large  bone  joins  the  spine  at  the  hips,  and  thus  lends  sup- 
port to  the  posterior  region.  But  the  vertebrae,  immediately  before  the 
hips,  are  aided  by  no  such  accessory.  The  loins  stand  alone,  or  are 
placed  entirely  without  support.  This  part  of  the  body  merely  consists 
of  certain  bones,  over  which  and  under  which  run  thick  layers  or  solid 
masses  of  muscular  fiber. 


THE   BACK-BONE   OF   THE   HORSE 


A  thorough  comprehension  of  the  osseous  weakness  apparent  in  the 
skeleton  of  the  loins  must  convince  the  reader  of  the  absolute  necessity 
which  exists  for  some  compensating  agency,  so  as  to  fit  the  back  for  its 
burden.  The  loins  therefore  should  be  bulky  or  muscular.  They  can- 
not be  too  large ;  but  may  easily  be  the  reverse.  Small  loins  or  weakly 
loins  admit  of  no  compensation.  The  author  does  not  remember  an 
instance  where  such  a  formation  was  not  associated  with  mean  quarters ; 
whereas  he  does  not  recollect  a  case  where  size,  in  this  region,  was  not 
evidence  of  general  strength  and  of  remarkable  vigor.  The  position  of 
the  part  is  peculiar.  It  is  intermediate  and  lies  between  the  haunches, 
which  are  the  propelling  powers,  and  the  thorax,  which  region  is  formed 
to  endure,  to  support,  or  to  uphold  what  the  back  carries.  All  inter- 
mediate structures  demand  strength ;  because  such  a  position  exposes 
the  part  to  the  full  impulse  of  adjacent  force,  its  office  being  simply  to 
transmit  that  impetus  which  it  directly  receives.  Accordingly,  the 
development  of  the  loins,  both  in  man  and  in  horse,  may  be  cited  as  the 
best  proof  of  the  vital  power  which  resides  within  the  frame. 

The  loins,  to  evidence  the  transmitting  office  peculiar  to  this  region, 
receive  and  convey  onward  the  propelling  force  of  the  quarters.  So, 
when  the  body  is  suddenly  checked,  the  loins  have  to  master  the  first 
energy  of  the  onward  impetus,  or  have  to  endure  the  full  violence  of  the 
sudden  arrestation  of  the  forward  motion  in  both  the  animal  and  its 


POINTS.  383 

burden.  In  the  brief  but  dangerous  feats  of  leaping,  galloping,  etc., 
the  position  of  the  region  and  the  duties  involved  by  it  are  so  obvious, 
that  the  author  cannot  presume  to  dilate  upon  what  appears  to  be  self- 
evident. 

Muscular  loins  are  imperative  in  racers  and  in  hunters.  They  should 
also  characterize  all  saddle  horses ;  for  it  is  impossible  the  rider  should 
be  safely  carried  unless  the  back  be  strong.  The  animal  designed  for 
light  harness  purposes  can,  perhaps,  best  dispense  with  such  an  essential, 
although  even  in  that  case  the  deficiency  is  very  far  from  a  recommend- 
ation; for  weak  loins  are  usually  associated  with  a  narrow  chest,  a 
lanky  frame,  and  a  total  lack  of  every  property  which  characterizes  en- 
durance. 

In  fact,  every  purchaser  should  first  glance  at  this  part;  for  here 
reside  those  proofs  which  the  scientific  mind  and  the  practical  judgment 
unite  in  esteeming.  No  matter  what  quality  may  be  desired:  be  it 
strength  or  appearance,  be  it  speed  or  endurance,  breadth  of  loins  is 
always  important.  Lumbar  development  is  essential  in  all  cases.  In 
short,  there  is  no  property  for  the  possession  of  which  the  quadruped 
can  be  valued  that  is  not,  more  or  less,  and  generally  much  more  than 
in  any  degree  less,  dependent  upon  this  portion  of  the  frame  for  its 
exhibition. 


A   HOLL0\y-BACKKD    UURSE. 


The  back-bone  of  the  horse — lumbar  bones  and  all — is  often  remark- 
able for  very  opposite  developments  which  pervade  its  entire  length. 
These  are  sinking  down  or  curving  inward,  and  rising  up  or  arching 
outward.  When  the  line  declines  more  than  usual,  the  form  is  denom- 
inated a  "hollow  back"  or  "a  saddle  back,"  and  is  generally  supposed 


384  POINTS. 

to  be  indicative  of  dorsal  debility.  Animals  of  such  a  formation,  how- 
ever, commonly  are  possessed  of  high  crests,  of  full  loins,  as  well  as 
lofty  haunches,  and  they  generally  exhibit  very  proud  action. 

The  late  William  Percivall,  Esq.,  in  his  valuable  work  upon  the  action 
of  the  horse,  alludes  to  a  creature  which  displayed  this  peculiar  forma- 
tion, and  nevertheless  was  an  excellent  hunter.  Many  readers  will 
remember  that  the  once  fashionable  Lord  Petersham  used  to  drive  a 
quadruped  of  this  description  about  London.  His  lordship's  cabriolet 
could  never  stop,  but  a  crowd  of  admirers  immediately  gathered  about 
it.  Animals  thus  shaped,  notwithstanding  the  opinions  of  horsemen, 
are  always  highly  regarded  by  the  populace,  and  always  afford  a  very 
elastic  seat  for  the  rider.  Judging  from  inquiry,  and  guided  by  the  re- 
ports of  experience,  the  author — although  such  a  make  does  not  warrant 
an  idea  of  any  excessive  strength — yet  inclines  to  think  that  the  decision 
which  condemns  it  as  symptomatic  of  extraordinary  debility,  needs  further 
confirmation  before  it  should  be  universally  accepted. 

Animals  with  hollow  backs  are  usually  conspicuous,  even  among  the 
equine  race,  for  many  estimable  qualities.  They  are  generally  very 
docile,  and  uncommonly  good  tempered.  Putting  the  undue  sinking  of 
the  spine  out  of  the  question,  they  display  numerous  excellent  points; 
and,  even  admitting  all  that  may  be  said  about  weakness,  they  exhibit 
such  prominent  good  qualities  as  in  many  occupations  may  be  justly 
esteemed  more  than  an  equivalent  for  their  bodily  deficiency, — especially 
when  employed  to  carry  a  lady's  saddle. 

The  very  reverse  of  all  that  has  been  recorded  above  usually  char- 
acterizes the  "roach  back."  The  author  has  hitherto  found  creatures 
thus  made,  distinguished  for  the  absence  of  that  power  with  which  pre- 
judice is  inclined  to  invest  them.  Such  animals  are  to  be  seen  feeding 
upon  the  commons  about  Essex,  being  the  pictures  of  checked  develop- 
ment and  the  representatives  of  heartless  neglect.  The  offsprings  of 
aged  dams  or  colts  that  have  been  forced  to  submit  to  early  labor,  every 
feature  testifies  to  the  abuse  which  they  have  undergone.  Quadrupeds 
equally  misshapen  and  equally  neglected  may  frequently  be  seen  drag- 
ging agricultural  carts  through  the  streets  of  London. 

Such  deformities  are  usually  vicious  and  spiteful.  They  are  capable 
of  little  exertion,  and  offer  a  seat  of  torture  to  the  individual  who  is  so 
unfortunate  as  to  be  mounted  upon  a  roach  back.  Some  years  ago,  the 
author  chanced  to  dissect  the  body  of  a  quadruped  of  this  description. 
Death  had  not  affected  the  upward  protrusion  of  the  spine,  which  re- 
tained its  peculiar  curve.  The  loins  were  very  poor,  and  several  of  the 
lumbar  bones  were  joined  together  by  abnormal  osseous  deposit.  The 
quarters  were  mean,  the  belly  large,  the  withers  low,  the  neck  ewe- 


POINTS.  385 

shaped,  the  head  big,  and  the  legs  long.  In  short,  such  horses  are 
equally  misshapen  and  mischievous.  Any  gentleman  had  better  endure 
fatigue  than  accept  such  a  creature  for  the  companion  of  his  journey. 


Avvvv\^     _—  -''-^:,^r.- 


A  ROACH-BACKED   HORSE. 


My  respected  friend,  Mr.  "Waller,  informs  me  that  he  once  had  a  "  roach- 
backed"  or  a  "hog-backed"  mare  which  was  remarkable  for  an  ungainly 
aspect.  But  it  had  very  large  loins  and  an  excellent  barrel.  It  could 
draw  a  loaded  gig  fifty  miles  in  one  day,  and,  at  the  journey's  end,  go 
direct  to  the  manger.  Here  malformation  was  compensated  by  the  ex- 
istence of  other  qualities ;  but  the  above  example  was  not  benefited  by 
the  "hog  back,"  which  must  have  interfered  with  its  natural  powers. 
The  same  gentleman  bears  testimony  to  an  excellent  hunter,  of  the  above 
conformation,  having  likewise  fallen  under  his  observance.  The  animal, 
to  be  sure,  used  to  "buck  jump"  its  fences;  or,  in  other  words,  it  used 
to  spring  suddenly  from  the  earth,  without  notice  or  preparation  for  the 
movement.  It  never  gave  the  rider  any  warning  of  its  intention  by  ris- 
ing to  its  leap.  Therefore  the  loins  must  have  been  defective,  although 
the  animal  was  endowed  with  extraordinary  power,  which  alone  could 
have  enabled  it  to  endure  the  frequent  repetition  of  so  unnatural  a  pro- 
ceeding. However,  the  person  who  was  seated,  during  a  hard  ride 
across  country,  on  the  top  of  a  "roach  back,"  and  was  indulged  with 
numerous  "buck  jumps"  during  the  morning's  amusement,  although  he 
should  invariably  be  the  first  in  at  the  death,  does  by  no  means  present 
to  the  author's  mind  an  object  deserving  of  any  man's  envy. 

25 


386  POINTS. 

Neither  a  long  nor  a  short  backed  horse  is,  necessarily,  desirable.  All 
depends  upon  the  strength  of  those  muscles  which  support  the  spine ; 
though,  all  other  points  being  equal,  length  generally  provides  a  springy 
seat  for  the  saddle  :  whereas  a  short  back  commonly  possesses  the  greater 
endurance.  A  long  back,  having  bulging  loins,  is,  however,  infinitely  to 
be  preferred  to  a  short  back,  with  deficient  lumbar  muscles.  The  mere 
extent  of  a  part  can  be  no  absolute  proof  in  either  direction ;  though, 
should  a  choice  lie  between  two  carcasses,  supposing  each  to  be  equally 
deficient  or  both  to  be  equally  favored,  then  the  short  back  should  be 
preferred,  because  all  increase  of  length  necessitates  a  greater  strain  upon 
the  organs  of  support. 

But  the  spine  cannot  be  too  long,  supposing  length  to  be  accompanied 
by  a  proportionate  excess  of  muscle ;  for  length  and  strength  of  course 
increase  speed.  The  practice,  common  among  the  vulgar,  of  placing  the 
open  hand  upon  the  upper  part  of  the  abdomen  to  ascertain  the  distance 
of  the  last  rib  from  the  hip-bone,  is  a  silly  custom,  and  can  prove  nothing 
but  the  ignorance  of  those  by  whom  it  is  exhibited.  A  living  body 
should  be  judged  as  a  whole.  One  part  should  be  viewed  in  its  relation 
to  another  development.  No  opinion  on  such  a  subject  ought  td  be 
formed  upon  any  solitary  test  or  independent  development. 

When  considering  this  portion  of  the  subject,  the  author  may  be  per- 
mitted to  state,  it  is  a  disgrace  to  the  intelligence  of  the  present  age  that 
any  cart  should  be  built  without  springs.  The  weight  and  the  uses  of 
the  vehicle  are  the  reasons  supposed  to  necessitate  the  custom.  But 
reason  perceives  that  the  real  question  is,  whether  living  thews  and 
muscles  shall  endure  the  burden,  or  whether  this  shall  be  imposed  upon 
inanimate  metal?  Reducing  the  matter  to  a  calculation  of  pounds, 
shillings,  and  pence, — which  is  the  cheaper  ?  Whick  is  the  more  deli- 
cate? Which  is  easier  to  repair,  or  the  less  costly  to  renew?  Fact 
pronounces  iron  to  be  the  answer  to  the  foregoing  questions ;  and  sense 
also  declares  life  has  no  right  to  be  subjected  to  that  unmitigated  labor 
which  Providence  has  provided  a  means  to  alleviate. 

The  tail  is  a  continuation  from  the  vertebras.  Therefore  there  is 
reason  why  a  stout  dock  or  a  thick  root  to  the  tail  should  be  regarded  as 
a  sign  of  excellence ;  because  the  part  affords  some  evidence  concerning 
the  stoutness  and  the  muscularity  of  the  spine  itself.  Or,  at  all  events, 
such  testimony  is  the  nearest  approach  to  positive  proof  which  circum- 
stances permit  reason  to  obtain.  Nevertheless,  it  allows  of  nothing 
stronger  than  an  inference ;  but  the  position  of  the  tail  is  more  decided. 
It  should  originate  level  with  the  prolonged  line  of  the  back,  and  should 
look  the  thing  it  is,  a  continuation  of  the  spine ;  for,  in  this  position,  it 
necessitates  a  greater  length  in  the  posterior  muscles  of  the  haunch, 


POINTS. 


381 


some  of  which  extend  from  the  last  bone  of  the  vertebras  almost  to  the 

hock.     In  a  body  whose  power  is  dependent  on  contractility,  of  course 

length  of  substance  favors 

the  ability  to  shorten  or 

to  contract.     In  proof  of 

this,    animals    with     the 

tails   "well   set   on"  are 

commonly  remarkable  for 

speed  and  for  activity. 

The  reader  will  perceive 
how  much  the  aspect  of 
the  quarters  is  governed 
by  the  position  of  the 
tail,  when  he  inspects  the 
illustration  which  is  here 
submitted  to  his  examina- 
tion. 

The    Arab    naturally 
bears  the  tail  erect;  and 
by  the  rapidity  of  its  mo- 
tions, together  with   the 
power  of  the   organ,  an 
explanation  is  afforded  of 
the  ease  and  the  grace  with  which  this  breed 
of  horses  can  perform  the  most  difficult  evolu- 
tions.    The  tail  of  the  English  thorough-bred, 
without  emphasizing  the  Arab  trait,  neverthe- 
less, by  its  position  and  its  graceful  carriage, 
declares  the  origin  whence  its  lineage  is  derived. 
A  rat  tail  is  a  deformity  generally  disguised  in 
large  towns.     There  exist  a  wide  class  of  expe- 
rienced horsemen  who  assert  they  never  knew 

a  rat  tail  to  spring  from  a  bad  body.  Why  baldness  of  a  particular 
region  should  indicate  general  excellence,  cannot  be  explained ;  but  the 
author  is  not  prepared  to  quote  a  single  known  exception  to  this  all  but 
universal  prejudice,  although  it  may  be  opposed  to  reason. 

The  vast  majority  of  quadrupeds,  however,  are  not  conspicuous  either 
for  the  carriage  or  the  position  of  the  tails.  The  dock,  in  the  greater 
number,  is  compressed  between  the  haunches.  The  filthy  custom  of 
nicking  was  intended  to  rectify  this  position.  A  portion  of  the  depressor 
muscle  was  wantonly  destroyed,  which  of  course  left  the  opposing  agent 
with  uncontrolled  power.     Such  barbarity,  assuredly,  made  the  tail  stick 


ORDINARY   TAIL 


GART  TAIL 


388  POINTS. 

out.  But  it  injured  its  utility  by  damaging  its  activity.  It,  moreover, 
left  the  situation  of  tlie  organ  without  amendment  or  made  it  more  con- 
spicuous. It  was  a  silly  practice,  and  is  now,  happily,  all  but  discarded. 
The  reader,  having  had  his  attention  directed  to  the  subject,  will 
probably  be  surprised  to  notice  how  seldom  horses  have  tails  well  set 
on  to  their  bodies.  In  short,  the  position  of  the  tail,  if  employed  as  a 
test  for  excellence,  would  cause  the  majority  of  quadrupeds  to  be  re- 
jected. The  tail,  however,  should  always  be  observed,  not  as  an  abso- 
lute proof  of  the  properties,  but  as  suggestive  of  the  breed.  The  cart 
horse  exhibits  a  thick  dock,  which  is  not  remarkable  for  activity.  It  has 
one  peculiarity,  this  is,  the  extent  to  which  the  coat  grows  backward, 
or  the  manner  in  which  the  origin  of  the  long  hairs  is  deficient  near  to 
the  haunch. 

The  head  is  the  oppositg  to  the  tail.  In  the  last,  the  spinal  marrow 
is  represented  only  by  thread-like  nerves.  In  the  first,  the  center  of  all 
sense  resides.  The  brain,  with  the  bones  that  inclose  it  and  the  parts 
that  surround  it,  constitutes  no  inconsiderable  burden.  Many  structures 
aid  in  its  support ;  but  the  general  idea  that  it  is  upheld  by  the  verte- 
brae, is  no  more  than  a  popular  error.  The  bones  of  the  neck  rather 
prevent  the  muscular  force  dragging  the  head  backward,  or  limit  the 
action  of  those  agents,  than  actually  support  any  portion  of  the  weight. 
The  ease  and  the  grace  with  which  a  head,  well  set  on,  is  carried,'  pre- 
sents a  beautiful  object  for  contemplation ;  our  admiration  should  be 
excited  by  a  perception  that,  great  as  the  weight  may  be,  it  is  so  ex- 
quisitely poised  as  to  inflict  no  sense  of  oppression  upon  the  creature. 
The  chin  can,  without  effort,  almost  repose  upon  the  chest :  the  nostril, 
by  the  mere  operation  of  the  will,  can  be  elevated  to  the  breeze.  The 
motions  are  equally  varied,  rapid,  and  incessant.  Bach  inclination  is 
directed  by  a  purpose ;  and  volition  is  exercised,  w^ithout  experience  of 
the  vast  machinery  by  which  the  changes  are  accomplished,  although 
the  motions  are  as  active  as  the  power  must  be  great  by  which  they  are 
directed. 

The  course  of  the  body  is,  as  was  before  stated,  greatly  governed  by 
the  position  of  the  head.  To  the  inexperienced,  the  freedom  of  this  part 
may  appear  of  little  consequence ;  thus,  ladies  are  well  known  to  be  the 
principal  perpetuaters  of  the  bearing-rein,  although  it  has  for  ages  been 
recognized  that  constant  tension  will  destroy  that  sensibility  of  lip  by 
which  the  course  of  the  animal  is  now  directed.  The  bit,  operating 
upon  a  natural  mouth,  can  sway  the  body  during  the  topmost  speed ; 
for  by  the  inclination  of  the  head  is  the  trunk  to  be  rapidly  turned. 

It  is  therefore  imperative,  for  the  ease  and  safety  of  the  rider  or  the 
driver,  that  the  head  should  be  well  set  on,  and  should  be  carried  with- 


POINTS. 


6S9 


out  sensible  restriction.  Should  the  rein  be  held  too  tight  and  a  false 
step  be  made,  or  should  the  foot  be  placed  upon  a  rolling  stone,  the 
quadruped  is  almost  certain  to  fall ;  for  the  rapid  motion  of  the  head"^ 
being  impossible,  it  cannot  be  used  to  restore  the  disturbed  balance. 
The  nimbleness  which  could  avoid  sudden  danger  is  destroyed  by  the 
fashionable  want  of  feeling.  It  is  a  matter  for  surprise  that  the  presence 
of  the  bearing-rein  is  never  alluded  to  when  gentlemen  seek  redress  be- 
cause their  vehicles  have  been  damaged.  Most  horsemen,  however, 
esteem  the  neck  for  its  appearance,  and  few  comprehend  its  utility. 

Any  person  can  discern  the  difference  which  characterizes  the  necks 
here  represented.  The  galloway  in  front  has  a  well-formed  neck, 
although   many  pretended  judges  would   object  that  it  is  too   bulky. 


illiiuitn''  \m 

THE   FORM   OF   NECK  GENERALLY   INDICATES   THE   DISPOSITION   OP  A   HORSE. 


Bulk  supposes  the  presence  of  muscle ;  therefore  a  neck,  if  properly 
shaped,  cannot  be  too  thick.  The  majority  of  the  cervical  motor  agents 
extend  either  to  the  trunk  or  to  the  fore  limbs.  The  size  of  the  neck, 
consequently,  influences  other  regions,  and  confers  positive  advantage  of 
both  strength  and  activity. 

A  head  well  set  on  is  carried  in  advance  of  the  body  only  so  far  as 
may  be  necessary  to  counteract  the  comparative  lightness  of  the  for- 
ward structures. 

On  the  other  hand,  thinness  and  smallness  of  neck  is  one  of  the 
peculiar  features  of  emaciation  in  the  horse.  It  is  always  seen  in  the 
old  and  in  the  half-starved  quadruped.  Hence  it  may  be  inferred  not  to 
be  a  sign  of  vigor  in  any  condition.     The  observation  should  be  directed 


390  POINTS. 

to  the  balance,  the  ease,  and  the  activity  of  the  cervical  region.  As 
respects  ils  bulk,  the  author  never  remembers  to  have  beheld  an  animal 
•with  a  neck  too  thick;  though,  he  is  sorry  to  confess,  he  has  witnessed 
many  of  man's  servitors  with  this  part  of  the  body  most  lamentably 
attenuated. 

The  second  horse,  in  the  foregoing  illustration,  has  that  form  of  neck 
which  is  commonly  seen  upon  what  are  called  "well  bred"  and  "good 
horses."  It  is  not  incompatible  with  safety  of  pace;  but  it  is  deficient 
in  beauty  of  outline  or  grace  of  carriage ;  and  it  cannot  be  fully  equal  to 
all  the  uses  of  a  well-formed  neck.  The  chin  may  be  lowered ;  but  it 
will  be  at  the  expense  of  an  effort,  and  by  the  unscrupulous  employ- 
ment of  the  bit  or  the  rein.  Such  a  resort  must  inflict  acute  torture, 
especially  as  this  particular  kind  of  neck  is  rarely  accompanied  by 
breadth  of  channel  or  width  of  space  between  the  branches  of  the 
lower  jaw. 

The  inability  to  lower  the  head  with  ease,  removes  the  eye  from  the 
ground,  and  exposes  an  animal  to  trip  or  to  stumble,  should  any  sudden 
inequality  be  present  in  the  road.  The  second  form  is,  therefore,  pref- 
erable to  the  succeeding  neck,  which,  though  possessed  of  a  more 
graceful  crest,  yet  in  the  protrusion  of  the  nose  indicates  that  strain  upon 
the  muscular  system  by  which  progression  is  accomplished.  No  force, 
save  that  of  mechanism,  can  possibly  bring  and  hold  down  such  a  head. 
This  defect  exposes  the  animal  to  much  suffering,  renders  it  liable  to 
fall,  makes  it  very  heavy  in  the  hand,  and  speedily  ruins  the  moutl* 

The  last  horse  exhibits  the  worst  form  of  the  group, — or  it  presents  a 
long  neck  with  the  head  pointing  downwai'd.  Such  an  animal  is  never 
safe  in  harness ;  but  is  totally  unsuited  for  the  saddle.  Creatures  thus 
formed  are  commonly  good  tempered,  but  sluggish.  This  position  of 
the  head  should  to  all,  save  only  the  totally  inexperienced,  characterize  a 
deficiency  of  nervous  energy ;  and  likev/ise  indicate  the  cost  at  which 
pace  is  maintained,  and  declare  the  uncertainty  of  foot.  The  neck 
should  never  be  protruded,  save  during  the  exertion  of  the  greatest 
speed.  An  animal  which  habitually  assumes  this  attitude,  suggests 
that  an  ordinary  effort  is  felt  to  be  a  mighty  tax  upon  its  capabilities. 

The  following  illustration  exhibits  a  peculiarity  of  form  which  the 
author  believes  is  confined  to  the  heavier  breed  of  draught  horses. 
Such  a  neck  is  alone  compatible  with  slowness  of  pace.  It  is,  how- 
ever, falsely  imagined  to  denote  excessive  strength.  So  far  as  thickness 
is  concerned,  muscle  must  be  present,  or  adipose  tissue  must  abound; 
but  in  length  there  is  a  deficiency  which  necessarily  will  limit  the 
amount  of  motor  power.  In  justification  of  this  opinion,  may  be 
quoted   a  well-known   fact,  that  the  huge   mountains  of  flesh  which 


POINTS. 


391 


parade  the  streets  of  London  before  the  brewers'  drays,  are  not  remark- 
able for  a  power  of  draught,  for  a  capability  of  endurance,  or  for  any 
length  of  existence. 


A   BULL   NECK. 


The  ewe-necked  horse  is  one  in  which  every  appearance  of  crest  is 
absent.  Such  a  form  may  possess  length ;  but  it  is  generally  wanting 
both  in  depth  and  in  substance.  Animals  of  this  formation  are  generally 
active,  but  weakly :  other  parts  are  too  often  characterized  by  a  narrow- 
ness of  build,  which  materially  detracts  from  a  capability  for  endurance 


THE  EWE   NECK. 


The  appearance  is,  moreover,  mean ;  this  is  usually  rendered  more  con- 
spicuous by  a  thinness  and  a  shortness  of  mane.     The  shape  of  the 


3d2 


POINTS. 


neck  is  not,  however,  to  be  considered  only  as  governing  other  organs, 
but  is  also  to  be  regarded  as  a  consequence  of  a  prevailing  absence  of 
development.  So  may  the  frequent  accompaniment  of  a  vicious  dispo- 
sition be  viewed  as  the  result  of  that  feebleness  which  converts  the 
easiest  task  into  a  mighty  labor,  and  of  that  absence  of  beauty  which 
can  neither  kindle  the  pride  nor  awaken  the  fondness  of  the  owner. 

Certain  supposed  judges  are  greatly  prejudiced  in  favor  of  a  short 
neck.  The  characteristic  is  in  some  minds  associated  with  the  pres- 
ence of  bodily  strength ;  but  it  cannot  be  remarkable  for  denoting  the 
existence  of  such  a  quality,  because  an  absence  of  length  must  abbre- 
viate the  amount  of  muscular  fiber.  Shortness  of  neck,  besides  sug- 
gesting the  presence  of  fat,  and  interfering  with  activity,  unfits  the 
animal  for  certain  situations.  A  bull  neck,  although  its  possessor 
inhabited  the  most  luxuriant  pasture,  would  compel  the  creature  to 
subsist  on  short  commons.  Nags,  however  long  may  be  the  legs,  or 
short  shall  be  their  necks,  generally  manage  to  crop  the  grass,  although 
to  do  so  may  cause  a  constant  strain  upon  the  limbs,  thus  counteracting 
one  of  those  effects  which  the  run  is  invariably  supposed  to  realize. 
Below  is  inserted  an  illustration  showing  the  artifice  adopted  by  animals 
of  this  description. 


THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  A  BHORT-NECKKD  HORSE  MANAGES  TO  FEED  OFF  THE  GROUND. 


Having  noticed  those  portions  of  the  spinal  column  in  which  thf»  ver- 
tebrae are  not  associated  with  other  bones,  or  do  not  enter  into  the  forma- 


POINTS.  3sa 

tion  of  compound  parts,  it  may  assist  the  judgment  of  the  reader  if  the 
relative  importance  of  these  regions  is  more  particularly  descanted  upon. 

However  desirable  an  arched  and  lofty  crest  may  be,  it  is  not,  when 
separately  considered,  any  absolute  proof  of  estimable  properties.  Con- 
joined with  other  points,  it  renders  excellence  more  excellent ;  but,  alone, 
no  deduction  should  be  drawn  from  it.  In  many  parts  of  Germany,  the 
horses  exhibit  beautifully  formed  necks,  bearing  luxuriant  manes ;  but  in 
other  respects  the  quadrupeds  are  lanky,  weak,  and  washy  creatures. 
The  dock  deserves  attention,  although  it  can  warrant  no  more  than  an 
inference.  If  it  suggests  that  which  other  developments  equally  sup- 
port, it  constitutes  a  valuable  accessory  toward  a  sound  opinion ;  but, 
by  itself,  it  is  of  no  importance.  On  the  contrary,  the  loins  are  absolute 
proof:  their  swelling  testimony  may  be  trusted,  should  both  neck  and 
tail  oppose  their  evidence.  This  portion  of  the  body  never  deceives.  It 
is  worthy  of  all  reliance :  what  it  declares  must  be  implicitly  received. 
And,  to  many  minds,  it  may  appear  the  more  deserving  of  estimation, 
because  full  loins  are  commonly  accompanied  by  a  stout  dock. 

Attached  to  the  neck  is  the  head,  which,  in  the  horse,  always  be- 
speaks those  changes  produced  by  varieties  of  treatment  and  difference 
of  climate.  The  favorite  and  the  companion  of  the  semi-civilized  Arab 
is,  by  its  association  with  its  master,  elevated  in  intelligence  as  in  beauty. 


A  LOW-BKED   HORSE.  A  WELL-BRED   HORSE. 

The  agricultural  teamster  of  this  country  exhibits,  in  its  expression,  the 
apathy  with  which  it  is  regarded  by  its  rustic  attendant.     These  are, 
probably,  the  extremes  of  the  race.     That  the  reader  may  recognize  the 
distinction  between  them,  front  views  of  both  heads  are  above  shown. 
In  the  Arab,  the  spectator  can  hardly  fail  to  remark  the  distance  by 


391 


POINTS. 


which  the  eyes  are  divided.  The  brow  is  equally  characterized  by  its 
length  as  by  its  breadth,  and  constitutes  no  mean  portion  of  the  entire 
head.  In  the  lowly-bred  face,  the  region  of  the  brain  is  comparatively 
small,  its  width  presenting  no  obvious  contrast  to  the  other  features. 
The  nostrils  are  not  only  compressed,  but  their  margins  are  thick ;  while 
the  upper  lip  is  adorned  by  a  pair  of  abundant  mustaches.  Some  animals 
the  author  has  beheld  with  embellishments  of  this  order  which  would  not 
have  disgraced  the  most  hirsute  of  guardsmen. 

The  head  of  a  well-bred  horse  has  been  frequently  described  as  form- 
ing a  straight  line  in  its  forward  margin,  when  it  is  contemplated  from 
the  side.  Such  an  assertion  is  generally  true ;  but  it  must  not  be  re- 
ceived as  absolutely  correct.  Horses  have  been  imported  from  Arabia 
with  the  craniums  and  the  frontal  sinuses  considerably  enlarged.  Such 
a  peculiarity  is  not  esteemed  a  defect  by  the  natives  of  the  East.  This 
fact  is  established  by  animals,  thus  characterized,  having  been  sent  to 
this  country  as  presents  for  personages  of  exalted  rank.  Such  develop- 
ments may  not  strictly  accord  with  English  notions  of  equine  beauty; 
but  the  size  of  the  case,  in  some  measure,  denotes  the  magnitude  of  that 
which  it  contains.  A  large  brain  can  be  no  detriment  to  any  animal 
which  is  partly  prized  for  its  intelligence. 


-^D^' 


BULQUrO   FROKTAL   SINUSES. 


A   CART   HORSE,  WITH  THE  KOMAN  NOSH. 


Another  peculiarity  exhibited  by  a  few  English  thorough-breds,  is  the 
Roman  nose,  or  a  prominence  of  the  nasal  bones.  The  trait  is,  however, 
less  common  in  the  pure  Arabian  blood  than  is  the  previous  develop- 
ment. There  is  a  breed  of  blood  horses  which  exhibit  a  prominence 
of  the  nasal  bones,  or,  in  other  words,  present  what  is  designated  as 
the  "Roman  nose."    This  particular  shape,  however,  is  with  the  coarser 


POINTS.    -  39S 

breeds  far  from  unusual;  although  in  animals  of  slow  work  it  cannot 
be  esteemed  a  beauty,  it  also  should  not  be  condemned  as  a  huge  defect. 
The  depression  of  the  nasal  point  may  allow  less  freedom  to  the  nostril; 
but  in  a  creature  whose  kind  of  labor  permits  slow  respiration  to  be 
employed,  this  constitutes  no  absolute  objection ;  while  many  quadru- 
peds of  this  formation  are  conspicuous  for  their  high  courage  and  their 
lively  disposition. 

The  leading  or  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  thorough  -  bred 
horse  is  its  superior  intelligence.  The  stranger  hardly  has  spoken  to 
the  creature,  before  it  begins  to  investigate  his  personal  appearance.  It 
appears  to  appreciate  the  words  addressed  to  it,  and  it  responds  to  any 
act  of  kindness  which  may  be  lavished  upon  it.  Added  to  this,  is  the 
evident  neatness  of  its  formation ;  the  clearness  of  its  various  features ; 
the  grace  as  well  as  the  lightness  of  its  construction,  united  with  speak- 
ing evidences  of  strength  and  of  energy.  The  quadruped  appears  fit 
to  be  the  associate  of  man,  and  almost  seems  upon  an  intellectual  level 
with  its  master.  As  we  contemplate  the  lustrous  eye,  and  feel  the  rush 
of  inquisitive  breath,  it  is  impossible  not  to  credit  the  tales  narrated  of 
the  creature's  affection  and  of  its  generosity.  We  can  then  sympathize 
with  the  love  of  the  Arab  for  his  steed,  and  sensibly  feel  that  life  in 
the  desert  would  be  rendered  less  desolate  by  the  presence  of  such  a 
companion. 

Yet  this  elegant  quadruped  is  cast  in  no  arbitrary  mould.  Its  beauty 
admits  of  the  same  variety  which  is  conspicuous  in  other  animated 
bodies.  The  ears  usually  are  small,  and  approximate  toward  their  tips ; 
but  they  may  also  be  large,  and  the  points  may  be  even  wider  apart  than 
the  roots  of  the  organs.  Yet,  in  every  shape,  a  thinness  or  a  delicacy 
of  the  outer  walls,  a  nice  arrangement  of  the  internal  protecting  hairs, 
together  with  a  fineness  in  the  investing  coat,  attest  to  the  purity  of  the 
parental  stock. 

A  tribe  of  lop-eared  thorough-breds  are  known  to  exist  upon  the 
English  course :  this  peculiarity,  however,  is  not  a  distinguishing  mark 
of  purity  of  blood,  or  a  characteristic  running  throughout  the  race.  The 
fall  of  the  ear  exposes  the  interior  of  the  organ  to  the  eye  of  the  specta- 
tor :  that  circumstance,  no  doubt,  suggested  the  removal  of  the  hairs 
which  nature  placed  as  guards  before  the  opening.  It  is  now  a  common 
practice,  with  almost  every  groom,  to  singe  off  these  hairs  with  the 
flame  of  a  candle.  Such  an  agent  cannot  be  safely  intrusted  to  vulgar 
hands ;  probably  to  this  foolish  custom  is  owing  the  deafness  which  by 
horses  is  so  frequently  exhibited.  Any  protruding  hair  the  scissors 
might  excise ;  but  as  regards  the  interior  of  the  ear,  grooms,  had  they 
even  a  slight  acquaintance  with  physiology,  would  know  that  the  com- 


39ft 


POINTS. 


mon  Father  was  actuated  by  benevolence  in  all  His  ordinizations,  and 
therefore  hairs  have  their  appointed  uses. 


GOOD   AND   ACTIVE   EARS.  LARGE   EARS. 


EARS   WIDE   APART. 


LOW-BRED   EARS. 


With  the  ears  no  corporal  excellence  is  connected,  but  with  the  health 
of  this  organ  the  general  safety  is  associated ;  for  the  acuteness  of  the 
animal's  hearing  afiPords  no  mean  protection  to  the  rider.  The  absolute 
quietude  of  the  ears  indicates  that  sounds  are  powerless  to  excite  the 
organ.  Excessive  restlessness  of  these  parts  suggests  that  by  straining 
of  one  sense,  the  animal  is  endeavoring  to  recompense  the  obscurity  of 
another :  that  the  vision  is  either  lost  or  imperfect.  A  lively  carriage 
of  the  ears  expresses  a  sprightly  temper,  and  generally  denotes  a  kind 
disposition ;  whereas  one  member  constantly  directed  forward  and  the 
other  backward,  is  a  frequent  sign  of  "vice,"  or  of  timidity  in  its  watch- 
fulness. 

Near  the  ear  is  the  seat  of  another  special  sense.  Many  people  will 
pretend  to  discover  the  disposition  of  a  horse  by  the  character  of  the 
eyes.  A  restlessness  of  the  globe,  the  display  of  any  unusual  quantity 
of  white,  and  a  perpetual  tension  on  the  upper  lid  are  imagined  to  signify 
a  "vicious"  inclination;  but,  in  reality,  these  traits  express  only  the 
watchfulness  of  fear.  Such  indications  are  evidences  of  that  suffering 
which  has  been  experienced;  and  these  traits  are  consonant  with  an 
anxiety  to  escape  the  future  assaults  of  brutality.  Despair  may  not  be 
desirable  as  a  companion ;  but  it  is  not,  therefore,  to  be  falsely  stigma- 
tized. 

A  prominent  eye,  expressive  of  repose,  and  not  exhibiting  an  abund- 
ance of  white,  has  been  pronounced  to  be  declarative  of  honesty,  though 
certain  parties  have  condemned  it  as  indicative  of  slothfulness.  A 
quickness  or  activity,  as  contradistinguished  from  a  restlessness  in  the 
visual  organ,  is,  however,  to  be  desired.  The  small  eye  usual  with  the 
coarser  breed  of  animals  should  be  avoided,  because  it  is  generally 
accompanied  by  a  heaviness  of  movement.  The  retracted  or  deep-set 
eye,  which  displays  the  organ  only  partially,  which  is  somewhat  angular 
in  figure,  and  which  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  "a  pig-eye,"  denotes 


POINTS. 


39t 


either  weakness  of  the  part,  or,  to  the  majority  of  horsemen,  will  suggest 
a  previous  attack  of  specific  ophthalmia.  The  disease,  however,  is  not, 
in  the  author's  opinion,  hereditary,  but  is  generated  by  that  closeness  of 
abode  and  that  absence  of  ventilation  to  which  all  grooms  strongly 
incline.  The  present  writer  has  most  frequently  beheld  ophthalmia  in 
full  and  in  perfect  organs. 


A  WATCHFUL    AND   TIMID   ETE.        AN   HONEST   ETE. 


A   LOW-BRED   ETE. 


A   DISEASED,  OR   PICJ-ETE. 


Before  quitting  the  consideration  of  tbe  face,  it  is  imperative  that  the 
mouth  and  nostrils  should  be  alluded  to.  In  the  well-bred  horse,  these 
are  both  large,  when  compared  with  the  same  developments  in  the  ani- 
mal of  a  coarser  origin.  The  lips  should  be  smooth,  soft,  compressed, 
and  suggestive  of  energy ;  but  they  should  be  without  the  smallest  as- 
pect of  ill  temper.  About  them,  numerous  isolated  and  long  hairs  may 
be  located ;  but  there  should  be  no  accumulation  resembling  a  mustache,  or 
bearing  even  a  distant  likeness  to  a  beard.  Such  growths  are  commonly 
removed  by  the  scissors  of  the  groom;  but  the  palm  of  the  hand,  if 
placed  against  the  muzzle,  is  certain  to  ascertain  the  truth  if  those  things 
ever  have  been  in  existence. 


LAROE  MODTH  AND  NOSTRIL 
OF  A  WELL-BRED  HORSE. 


SMALL  MOUTH  AND  NOSTRIL 
OP  A  LOW-BRED  HORSE. 


THE  MOUTH  AND  NOSTRIL  OF  AN  OLD, 
DEJECTED,  TIELL-BRED  HORSE. 


The  lowly-bred  animal,  being  chiefly  employed  for  slow  uses,  has  not 
the  need  for  those  ample  draughts  of  air  which  the  faster  speed  necessi- 
tates should  be  rapidly  respired ;  nor  is  the  mouth  declarative  of  the 
same  determination  which  marks  the  lips  of  the  purer  blood.  The  bit 
is  scarcely  ever  present  upon  the  carter's  harness,  nor  are  the  mouths  of 
his  charges  formed  to  retain  this  invention.  The  characteristics  of  low 
birth  cannot  be  effaced  from  the  countenance  of  a  quadruped.     Age  or 


sys  POINTS. 

privation  cannot  confound  the  two  breeds.  The  thorough-bred  in  ruin 
is  not  to  be  mistaken  for  the  teamster.  No  want,  no  suffering,  no  length 
of  years  can  obliterate  the  evidence  of  nobility  from  the  animal  of  pure 
descent. 

When  purchasing  a  horse,  it  is  always  well  to  examine  the  angles  of 
the  lips.  If  any  sign  of  induration  is  remarked,  it  signifies  that  the 
animal  has  suffered  from  the  abuse  of  the  bit.  If  on  any  limited  space, 
however  small,  a  patch  of  white  skin  is  observed  located  upon  a  dark 
ground,  it  denotes  that  "  once  upon  a  time  "  the  true  skin  has  been  re- 
moved from  that  place,  while  cicatrix  now  exists  to  apprise  future  pur- 
chasers of  the  fact.  If  anything  like  a  hardened  lump  should  be  felt  in 
this  situation,  it  demonstrates  that  the  quadruped  has  a  hard  mouth,  and 
is  an  obstinate  puller,  or  that  it  has  passed  through  the  hands  of  an  un- 
feeling master. 

In  either  case,  the  creature  is  not  a  desirable  possession.  Harshness 
is  not  a  kindly  educator,  nor  does  it  beget  docility  of  spirit  in  the  being 
which  is  subjected  to  its  exactions.  A  hard  mouth  necessitates  one  of 
the  severest  trials  which  can  be  inflicted  on  a  horse  proprietor.  It  is 
painful,  every  time  a  change  of  direction  is  desired,  for  the  rider  to  tug 
at  the  reins ;  such  a  necessity  soon  destroys  every  pleasure  of  the  exer- 
cise. But  a  regular  puller  is  always  a  dangerous  servant.  Generally  it 
turns  out  to  be  a  "  bolter,"  and,  before  running  away,  will  seize  the  bit 
between  its  teeth,  when  the  driver  or  the  rider  alike  is  helpless.  Our 
entreaty  to  the  reader  is,  to  turn  his  back  upon  the  offer,  should  he  ever 
be  solicited  to  buy  a  horse  having  a  damaged  mouth. 

At  this  point  it  is  requisite  the  author  should  review  the  various 
organs  whi-ch,  together,  constitute  the  head.  An  activity  equally  re- 
moved from  stillness  and  from  restlessness,  denotes  health  to  be  present 
in  all  the  seats  of  special  sense.  These  things  are  of  more  importance 
than  at  first  glance  is  apparent,  because  such  united  testimony  is  the 
best  security  as  regards  the  general  system.  It  equally  testifies  to  the 
soundness  of  the  brain  and  to  the  healthiness  of  the  body.  When  the 
animal  suffers,  the  perceptions  mostly  are  inactive ;  when  the  brain  is 
oppressed,  the  loss  of  sense  first  announces  the  disorder. 

These  organs  also  deserve  attention  for  their  own  sakes.  Man  is  not 
gifted  with  remarkable  faculties  either  in  seeing,  in  hearing,  or  in  smell- 
ing. He  therefore  desires  such  assistance  as  the  companion  of  his  jour- 
ney may  afford.  The  value,  consequently,  of  an  animal  is  materially 
deteriorated  by  the  loss  of  any  of  its  protective  powers.  These,  when 
all  enjoyed  in  perfection,  assist  one  another.  When  any  organ  is  excited, 
the  rest  are  seldom  dormant.  Thus  when  the  quadruped  perceives  in 
the  distance  some  obscure  object,  the  ears  are  advanced. and  the  nostrils 


POINTS.  399 

are  inflated.  The  same  general  movement  is  remarked  whenever  the 
hearing  catches  a  distant  sound,  or  whenever  the  scent  detects  a  novel 
odor.  All  are  conjoined  to  produce  one  result;  therefore  the  loss  of  one 
cannot  be  without  effect  upon  the  uniformity  of  action. 

As  regards  the  formation  of  the  countenance,  an  enlarged  cranium  is 
no  detriment;  but  the  Roman  nose  sometimes  interferes  with  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  nostril.  When  it  produces  such  a  result,  the  peculiarity 
warrants  either  a  reduction  of  price  or  an  absolute  rejection  of  the  offered 
sale.  In  other  respects,  this  make  is  regarded  as  of  no  importance ;  but 
it  certainly  does  not  add  to  the  appearance  of  the  animal.  Horses  are 
generally  prized  in  proportion  to  their  beauty :  nor  can  the  author  quar- 
rel with  such  a  foundation  of  judgment,  as,  in  most  animals,  harmony 
of  figure  justifies  a  belief  that  excellence  of  spirit  also  exists. 

The  nostrils,  however,  are  associated  with  the  important  function  of 
respiration  ;  therefore  these  organs  demand  consideration,  when  regarded 
apart  from  the  other  senses.  They  admit  the  air  which  is  inhaled  by  the 
expansion  of  the  chest ;  consequently  the  dimension  of  the  nostrils  al- 
lows an  inference  to  be  drawn  as  to  the  capacity  of  the  lungs.  This 
opinion,  however,  should  be  only  advanced  after  the  alteration  has  been 
noted  between  their  size  when  at  rest  and  their  enlargement  when  ex- 
cited. Should  no  marked  variation  be  produced  by  the  opposite  states, 
then  the  value  of  the  animal  is  only  to  be  considered  in  connection  with 
slow  work,  as  the  speed  must  be  regulated  by  the  capability  of  receiving 
a  quantity  of  vital  air  proportioned  to  the  power  exerted. 

After  the  capacity  has  been  observed,  the  nature  of  the  movements 
of  the  nasal  openings  should  be  noticed.  Subsequent  to  exertion,  ease 
of  motion  is  not  to  be  anticipated ;  but  nothing  approaching  to  spas- 
modic action  should  be  remarked.  The  nostrils  ought  to  be  regularly 
expanded :  not  to  fly  open  with  a  jerk,  or  to  suddenly  enlarge  their  form, 
as  under  the  influence  of  a  gasp.  A  capability  of  dilatation,  attended 
with  an  evenness  of  motion,  however  fast  the  movement  may  be,  are 
the  points  which  should  be  looked  for  in  the  nostrils  of  a  horse, — because 
the  characteristic  changes  attending  inhalation  best  expose  any  defect  in 
the  respiratory  apparatus ;  for,  by  such  a  test,  the  remotest  disposition 
to  become  a  roarer,  or  to  exhibit  diseased  wind,  is  easy  of  detection. 

Connected  with  the  head,  every  horseman  comprehends  how  much 
width  of  channel,  or  of  space  between  the  branches  of  the  lower  jaw,  is 
to  be^jidesired.  The  reason  why  such  a  form  is  highly  prized  in  an 
animal  of  fleetness  or  of  exertion,  is  because  such  an  opening  allows  room 
for  the  varied  movements  necessary  for  the  offices  of  respiration,  or  for 
the  change  of  position  imperative  in  the  larynx,  which  is  located  near  to 
or  within  the  hollow  thus  provided.     Clear  space  is  of  course  impera- 


400 


POINTS. 


tive,  wherever  rapidity  of  movement  has  to  be  executed.  There  is  also 
another  thing  equally  desirable.  That  addition  is  a  full  development  of 
the  motor  power  which  affects  the  larynx. 


■WIDB  AND  NARROW  CHANNELS. 


This  last  point  has  never  been  sought  for,  although  the  writer  has  seen 
it  prominently  exhibited  in  some  animals.  Wherever  it  has  been  beheld, 
the  author  has  confidently  pronounced  the  high  character  of  the  quad- 
ruped ;  he  has  not,  in  a  single  instance,  been  mistaken  in  his  conclusion. 
The  muscles  which  are  attached  to  the  spur  process  of  os  hyoides,  or  to 
the  bone  which  regulates  the  movement  of  the  larynx,  when  well  de- 
veloped, are  discernible  in  the  living  animal.  They  form  a  kind  of  indi- 
cation as  though  nature  was  half  disposed  to  invest  the  animal  with  a 


PROMINENT  SETELOPMSNT  OF  TB£  HTOIDEAL  MUSCLES. 


miniature  dew-lap.  They  lead  the  muscles  of  the  neck  perceptibly  more 
forward  than  these  agents  run  in  the  majority  of  horses,  and  in  some 
specimens  they  may,  with  a  little  manipulation,  be  traced  almost  to  the 
point  of  their  insertion. 


POINTS.  401 

The  muscles  last  alluded  to  all  originate  from  the  trunk,  the  more  for- 
ward cavity  of  which  is  known  as  the  cfiest.  There  is  much  dispute 
concerning  the  best  form  of  the  horse's  thorax ;  but  such  a  question  can 
only  be  decided  by  the  uses  to  which  the  animal  is  to  be  subservient. 
For  instance,  below  is  inserted  the  illustration  of  a  cart  horse  with  an 
almost  circular  chest.  Such  a  form  permits  the  presence  of  a  huge  pair 
of  lungs,  and  favors  the  increase  of  weight. 


A  CART   HORSE. 


Sufficient  oxygen  is  always  present  to  convert  the  starch  or  the  sugar 
of  the  food  into  fat :  during  slow  work,  enough  of  atmosphere  to  vitalize 
the  blood  must  be  inhaled,  nor  is  excessive  exertion  calculated  to  mate- 
rially increase  the  amount.  Where  weight  is  more  desired  than  activity, 
where  propulsion  is  to  be  chiefly  accomplished  by  bringing  the  heavy 
carcass  to  bear  against  the  collar,  such  a  make  is  admirable.  All  creat- 
ures, in  which  speed  is  not  required,  should  possess  circular  chests ;  for 
by  such  a  shape  the  quadrupeds  are  adapted  for  the  accumulation  of  fat, 
and  for  the  performance  of  slow,  of  continuous,  or  of  laborious  work. 

There  are,  however,  numerous  animals  which  are  required  to  possess 
capability  for  a  "burst;"  for  the  acme  of  which  phrase  is  embodied  in 
the  rush  or  the  closing  struggle  of  the  race-course.  The  creature  of 
speed,  therefore,  should  exhibit  rather  the  deep  than  the  round  thorax ; 
for  fat  is  not  desired  on  such  an  animal.  The  deep  cavity,  moreover, 
admits  of  an  expansibility  which  is  imperative  during  the  extremity  of 
muscular  exertion.  It  is,  however,  sad  to  see  well-bred  animals  in  and 
about  the  metropolis  forced  to  pull  carts,  for  which  employment  nature 
has  unfitted  them.  They  possess  no  weight  of  body  with  which  to  move 
the  load.     The  burden  must  be  propelled  by  the  almost  unaided  power 

26 


402 


POINTS. 


of  the  muscles.  The  limbs,  strained  by  the  constant  necessity  of  the 
position,  soon  become  crippled,  while  excessive  labor  causes  the  flesh  to 
waste ;  hence  the  miserable  objects  which  are  sometimes  witnessed  toil- 
ing along  the  thoroughfares  of  the  metropolis. 


DIAGRAMS,  ILLUSTRATING  THE  DIFFERENT  CAPACITIBa  OP  THE  OPPOSITE  FORMATIONS  OF  THORAX. 


firi   a» 


THE  THORAX  OP  A  CART  HORSE. 


THE  THORAX  OF  A  BLOOD  HORSE. 


A  A.  The  capacities  of  the  two  chests  in  the  quiet  condition. 

B  B,  B  B.  The  limits  of  expansibility  in  each,  when  excited. 

cc,  c  c.  The  outside  of  the  coat  in  the  quiet  condition. 

dd,dd.  The  surface  of  the  body  in  the  excited  state. 

To  render  the  above  facts  comprehensible  to  the  generality  of  readers, 
let  it  be  granted  that  the  lungs  of  the  cart  and  of  the  blood  horse,  when 
expanded  to  the  uttermost,  would  occupy  the  like  space.  When  not  ex- 
cited, or  both  being  of  the  normal  size,  the  respiratory  apparatus  of  the 
coarser  breed  is  by  far  the  larger  of  the  two.  In  the  passive  condition, 
the  heavy  quadruped  inhales  much  more  oxygen  than  is  needed  to  vivify 
the  blood.  The  excess  is,  therefore,  appropriated  by  the  food  and  nour- 
ishes the  frame ;  hence  dray  horses  have  a  tendency  to  become  fat.  On 
the  contrary,  in  the  ordinary  mood,  the  lungs  of  the  thorough-bred  re- 
ceive scarcely  more  air  than  is  required  to  uphold  vitality;  therefore 
this  kind  of  quadruped  exhibits,  as  a  general  rule,  no  vast  disposition 
toward  excessive  obesity. 

During  all  quickened  movements,  however,  the  action  of  the  lungs 
and  the  speed  of  the  circulation  are  much  increased.  The  impetus 
given  by  motion  to  the  vital  fluid  causes  the  detention  in  the  lungs  to 


POINTS.  403 

be  of  a  comparatively  brief  duration.  The  period  of  change  is  snortened ; 
at  tlie  same  time  a  larger  absorption  of  the  vivifying  agent  becomes 
absolutely  imperative.  The  greater  depth  of  chest  in  the  racer  admits 
of  a  greater  change  of  dimension ;  then  air  is  inhaled  equal  to  the  ra- 
pidity of  movement.  The  pace,  therefore,  can  be  maintained  with  com- 
parative ease.  But  the  round  form  of  thorax  allows  of  little  enlargement : 
the  demands  made  by  exertion  cannot  be  complied  with,  and  the  heavy 
horse,  when  hurried,  is  consequently  soon  exhausted. 

It  is  not,  therefore,  the  size  or  dimension  of  its  thorax  which  fits  the 
steed  to  the  purposes  of  fleetness.  That  quality  depends  on  the  adapt- 
ability of  the  cavity  to  the  exigencies  of  excitement;  for  such  purposes, 
the  quadruped  with  a  round  chest  is  not  to  be  preferred.  At  present 
there  is  no  instrument  by  which  the  motions  of  the  horse's  ribs  can  be 
accurately  ascertained :  thus  the  reader  is  forced  to  guess  at  an  altera- 
tion which  cannot,  under  existing  circumstances,  be  regarded  with  that 
confidence  which  is  inspired  by  the  knowledge  of  a  fact.  A  quarter  of 
an  inch  between  the  enlargement  of  the  ribs  in  different  animals  (sup- 
posing the  other  points  equal)  should  more  than  determine  the  winner 
of  a  race,  since  the  change  which  takes  place  in  the  blood  regulates  the 
other  properties  of  vitality. 

The  belly  and  the  chest  are  distinct  cavities,  although  there  is  com- 
munication between  the  organs  of  each.  Thus  the  great  artery  which 
originates  at  the  heart,  travels  into  the  abdomen  ;  while  the  veins  which 
traverse  the  larger  division  also  penetrate  the  thorax.  Nevertheless, 
the  contents  and  the  uses  of  each  space  are  generally  distinct.  The 
principal  agents  of  the  more  forward  cavity  are  the  heart  and  the  lungs, 
the  thorax  being  chiefly  sacred  to  the  purposes  of  respiration  and  of  cir- 
culation. The  liver,  the  stomach,  the  spleen,  and  the  intestines  are 
inclosed  within  the  abdomen,  the  function  of  this  region  being  engrossed 
by  the  offices  of  appropriation  or  by  those  of  nutrition. 

Most  judges  admire  the  horse  which  presents  a  belly  apparently  well 
filled  by  its  contents.  Certainly  this  appears  to  be  the  soundest  of  the 
many  prejudices  which  appertain  to  horse  flesh.  The  shape  of  the  thorax 
must,  in  no  unimportant  degree,  regulate  that  of  the  abdomen,  the  two 
cavities  being  only  parted  by  a  fleshy  screen  denominated  the  diaphragm. 
The  herring-gutted  quadruped  is  commonly  as  deficient  in  the  respiratory 
as  it  is  wanting  in  the  nutritive  functions.  Of  course  this  rule  is  not 
absolute ;  but  a  capacious  thorax  is  required  to  counteract  any  absence 
in  the  process  of  nutrition.  The  animal  which  rapidly  narrows  toward 
the  flank  generally  purges  upon  work,  is  commonly  of  a  washy  consti- 
tution, and  usually  possesses  a  bad  appetite.  Such  a  retainer  will  fre- 
quently spoil  more  fodder  than  it  will  consume ;  while  the  little  eaten 


404  POINTS. 

shall  afford  less  support  than  the  like  amount  would  yield  unto  the 
majority  of  stabled  animals. 


HERRIMO-aUTTED   HOKSE. 


Horses  of  the  above  conformation  are  soon  found  wanting  in  other 
respects.  Narrowing  toward  the  flank  being  accompanied  with  deficient 
quarters,  enables  them  to  slip  through  their  body-clothes,  and  renders  it 
difficult  to  retain  a  saddle  in  its  proper  situation.  The  groom  may  in 
vain  give  extra  attention  to  the  fastenings ;  the  dwindling  form  empow- 
ers little  motion  to  displace  the  tightest  of  girths.  The  saddle  always 
has  an  inclination  to  glide  backward ;  and  the  rider,  when  such  an  occur- 
rence happens,  must  be  placed  in  no  enviable  position. 


COW-BXLUBS  BORSS. 


Objection  even  to  a  greater  extent  is  engendered  by  the  opposite  kind 
of  abdomen,  or  by  one  which  is  known  as  "a  cow-belly,"  or  "a  pot- 


POINTS. 


405 


belly."  Animals  of  this  make  always  seem  immatured,  as  though  they 
had  been  brought  into  the  world  before  the  proper  period,  or  had  been 
forced  to  perform  hard  labor  at  too  early  an  age :  their  legs  are  long ; 
their  withers  are  low ;  their  muscles  are  mean ;  their  chests  are  narrow, 
and  their  countenances  are  distorted  by  a  querulous  expression.  These 
unhappy  creatures  possess  but  little  strength  for  work ;  if  made  to  travel 
fast,  they  are  speedily  blown.  In  the  stable,  they  are  greedy;  when 
out  of  it,  they  are  vicious.  Many  of  their  faults  are  to  be  attributed  to 
disease,  the  digestive  functions  being  invariably  disordered.  They  are 
worthless,  or  are  "all  too  feeble"  for  harness;  while  the  enlarged  belly, 
when  favored  by  the  motion  of  the  limbs,  renders  retention  of  a  saddle 
an  utter  impossibility. 

The  legs  of  a  horse, — these  can  hardly  prove  too  short ;  for  brevity 
of  limb  is  always  an  accompaniment  to  depth  of  chest  and  proportionably 
powerful  quarters.  The  long  leg  always  attests  to  the  light  carcass: 
hence  the  motor  agency  of  the  limbs  is  deficient,  while  the  cavities  of 
respiration  and  of  nutrition  are  necessarily  diminished.  A  narrow 
thorax  almost  enforces  low  withers  and  an  upright  shoulder.  The  bone 
of  the  arm,  or  the  humerus,  is  pushed  into  an  undue  slant  by  the  for- 
ward position  of  the  blade-bone,  or  of  the  scapula.  This  compels  the 
front  leg  to  stand  too  far  under  tlie  body.  Such  an  arrangement  favors 
neither  beauty,  speed,  nor  safety;  in  fact,  it  is  one  of  the  worst  forms 
which  the  components  of  the  frame  are  capable  of  assuming. 

The  action  of  the  shoulder-blade,  during  progression,  is  upward  and 
backward,  or  it  is  drawn  toward  the  highest  processes  of  the  withers. 
Low  withers  are,  of  course,  opposed  to  ex- 
tended motion  in  such  a  line.  The  lessened 
action  of  the  bone  necessarily  limits  the  move- 
ment of  the  structures  which  depend  from  it, 
or  the  action  of  the  humerus  is  governed  by 
that  of  the  shoulder-blade.  The  trivial  motion 
permitted  by  low  withers,  therefore,  limits  the 
advance  of  the  forearm,  the  parts  being,  as  it 
were,  tied  together.  The  natural  carriage  of 
such  a  malformation  is  with  the  head  and  neck 
protruded,  so  as  to  favor  progression  by  strain 
upon  the  cervical  muscles.  At  the  same  time  the  body  inclines  forward, 
which  throws  the  limbs  backward,  or  out  of  their  proper  situations ;  and 
rhis  circumstance  accounts  for  animals  of  this  particular  make  so  fre- 
quently encountering  "accidents." 

The  gait  characteristic  of  an  upright  shoulder  is  very  peculiar.  A  bad 
forehand  is  the  most  common  defect  witnessed  in  London  thoroughfares. 


A   STRAIGHT   SHOULDER,     SHOWING 
THE    POSITION   OP   THE  BONES. 


(06 


POINTS. 


In  the  metropolis  of  the  world,  it  is  indeed  a  rare  sight  to  behold  a  car- 
riage drawn  by  a  pair  of  really  good  animals.  The  quadrupeds  in 
general  use  for  such  purposes  are  mostly  faulty  about  the  shoulders. 
The  forehand  is  placed  upon  the  trunk  in  too  upright  a  position.  The 
job  master  is  conscious  of  this  defect.  He  always  endeavors  to  con- 
vince his  patrons  that  such  a  make  is  advantageous,  where  a  creature  is 
designed  for  harness.  Possibly  the  tradesman  might  succeed  in  per- 
suading his  customers  into  a  false  belief,  were  not  prejudice  opposed  to 
his  suggestions.  Ladies  admire  high  action  in  the  steeds  attached  to 
their  vehicles;  this  is  the  kind  of  step  which  most  of  the  horses  just 
described  are  incapable  of  long  exhibiting. 

Art  or  cruelty,  however,  can  partially  amend  the  faulty  motion  of  the 
limbs.  Force  the  head  into  an  unnatural  attitude  by  the  unscrupulous 
employment  of  the  bit  or  of  the  bearing-rein ;  retain  the  neck  erect, 
without  regard  to  the  cramp  induced,  or  heed  of  the  strain  cast  upon  the 
muscles, — and  the  torture,  although  the  life  be  shortened  and  the  safety 
of  the  owner  endangered,  nevertheless  may  occasion  the  feet  to  be  raised 
during  progression.     This  fact  is  illustrated  in  the  following  engraving. 


DUORAM,  BHOWING  THB  NATURAL  ACTION  APPIRTAININO  TO  A  STRAIGHT  SHOULDER,  AND  ALSO  ILtUSTRA- 
TINO  THE  CDANOE  SOUSTIMIS  OCCASIONED  BY  TH£  UNSCRUPULOUS  EMFLOTMENT  OF  THE  BIT  OB  OF  THE 
BEARINQ-REIH. 


The  natural  mode  of  going  is  indicated  by  the  letters  A  A  ;  the  possible 
change  of  form  is  to  be  seen  in  the  parts  distinguished  as  B  B,  although 
the  action  there  depicted  certainly  displays  a  most  unusual  degree  of 
amendment,  to  induce  which  must  shorten  the  existence. 


POINTS. 


407 


Any  such  improvement  is  always  procured  at  a  vast  personal  risk ; 
for  the  head,  being  raised,  partially  throws  the  eyes  out  of  use.  It  also 
impedes  the  circulation,  ruins  the  mouth,  distorts  the  body,  and  deranges 
the  breathing.  All  these  evils  are  inflicted  to  obtain  the  kind  of  pace 
which  is  never  natural,  but  which  closely  resembles  the  sort  of  step  that 
is  characteristic  of  blindness  in  the  horse.  Few  of  the  animals,  thus 
treated,  live  to  descend  very  low  in  the  scale  of  equine  existence.  They 
mostly  perish  young;  but  the  reader  may  recognize  them  drawing  the 
broughams  of  gentility,  and  too  often  presenting  one  of  the  cramped, 
forced,  and  uneasy  paces  which  are  depicted  below ;  for  into  such  kinds 
of  action  all  upon  service  ultimately  subside. 


TERT  FAULTY   ACTIONS. 


On  the  other  hand,  the  animal  with  a  deep  chest  and  with  high 
withers,  almost  as  a  accessary  adjunct,  possesses  a  slanting  shoulder ; 
or,  at  all  events,  this  probabihty  is  favored  by  that  particular  formation. 
Such  an  arrangement  of  parts  must  be  accompanied  by  an  upright 
position  of  the  humerus  and  the  advanced  location  of  the  fore  limb. 
This  conformation  is  bettered,  materially,  by  an  arched  crest  and  a  head 
"well  set  on."  Unfortunately,  these  latter  points  are  seldom  encoun- 
tered, the  proper  disposition  of  the  fore  quarter  being  rarely  attended 
with  the  last-named  grace. 

Such  horses,  however,  Stubbs,  the  animal  painter,  used  to  delineate. 
Either  the  artist  was  particularly  fortunate  in  his  models,  or  beauty  has 
been  sacrificed  in  the  anxiety  to  breed  other  properties.  Such  horses 
appear  to  have  been  common  in  England  when  the  racer  was  compelled 
to  possess  endurance,  and  if  report  be  truth,  the  last  animals  exhibited 
a  greater  speed  than  their  descendants  can  display.  Hunters  were  for- 
merly something  better  than  the  rejected  of  the  course ;  they  could  show 
a  beauty  equal  to  their  strength.  Creatures  with  the  forehand  such  as 
has  been  described,  are  not  only  more  pleasant  to  contemplate,  but  they 
are  also  capable  of  working  with  far  less  exhaustion  to  the  system. 


408 


POINTS. 


With  a  front  limb  of  this  nature,  the  movements  of  the  leg  are  regu- 
lated by  that  of  the  shoulder.  When  the  blade-bone  is  drawn  upward, 
the  humerus  leaves  its  almost  erect  position,  and  assumes  a  forward  in- 
clination. This  causes  the  arm  to  be  advanced,  and  propels  the  leg  and 
foot.  Thus  the  movement  of  a  part  governs  the  motion  of  the  whole : 
a  grace  or  harmony  of  action  is  the  result.  The  various  components  of 
the  member  change  their  relative  positions  to  one  another  without  effort, 
but  with  evident  intention;  all  parts  of  the  limb  are  simultaneously 
advanced.  The  work  is  not  cast  upon  one  set  of  muscles  to  the  injury 
of  another  region.  A  well-made  animal  is  one  perfect  whole,  and  for- 
merly was  common  throughout  the  land.  People  may  sigh  that  such 
quadrupeds  are  now  lost  to  the  nation:  this  regret,  however,  does  not 
accord  with  the  folly  that  upholds  the  racing  mania,  which  has  engulfed 
the  once-prized  native  breed  of  English  horses. 


A  SLAKTING   SHOULDER,  SHOWING  THE 
POSITION  OF  THE  BONES. 


A  SLANTINO  SHOULDER  IN  ACTION. 


The  articulated  skeletons  which  are  exhibited  in  museums  present 
but  'poor  resemblances  of  the  living  framework  as  it  is  arranged  by  the 
hand  of  nature.  In  these  artificial  preparations,  the  fore  limbs  are 
always  straight,  as  are  the  supports  of  a  kitchen  table.  But  contem- 
plate the  living  example.  The  positive  perpendicular  is  never  observed. 
The  member  abounds  in  gracefully  swelling  prominences  and  admirably 
poised  inclines.  The  chest  may  be  wide ;  but  the  hoofs  are  placed  close 
together.  Such  a  necessity  renders  an  erect  line  an  impossibility.  Try 
the  same  rule  in  another  direction.  Let  a  plummet  be  dropped  from  the 
point  of  the  shoulder  of  a  living  and  well-made  animal ;  it  will  mark  the 


POINTS. 


409 


limit  to  which  the  toe  is  extended  when  the  healthy  horse  is  resting  the 
limb.  Such  a  fact  proves  the  sheer  upright  form  of  the  member  to  be 
an  Unnatural  distortion  and  a  positive  impossibility. 


DIAGRAMS   OP  BONES   TTITHIN  THE  HORSE'S   FORELEG. 


The  importance  of  the  shoulder  and  of  the  arm  bone  having  been 
enlarged  upon,  there  remains  to  direct  the  reader's  attention  toward  that 
which  in  general  acceptance  constitutes  the  forearm,  as  well  as  the  knee, 
the  leg  or  the  shin,  the  pastern  and  the  foot.  Where  the  limb  quits  the 
trunk,  it  should  be  characterized  by  muscular  developments,  since  at  this 
place  resides  the  chief  of  that  power  by  which  the  lower  portions  of 
the  member  are  directed.  The  flesh  should  bulge  forth,  and  cannot  be 
too  abundant;  for  a  thin  forearm  is  incompatible  with  goodness  in  a 
horse. 

The  point  of  the  elbow  should  be  prominently  emphasized,  as  this 
bone  aifords  a  leverage  whence  many  influential  muscles  originate,  and 
which  some  of  the  principal  flexor  agents  directly  operate  upon.  To- 
ward the  knee  the  swelling  should  gradually  subside,  leaving  upon  the 
surface  of  the  joint  a  broad,  clean,  and  firm  appearance.  At  the  back 
of  the  knee  there  should  stand  forth,  or  rather  should  stick  out,  an  osse- 
ous point,  the  size  of  which  is  of  every  value.  Its  aspect  may  not  please 
the  inexperienced  fancies  of  the  boy;  but  the  uses  of  this  development 


41U 


POINTS. 


are,  in  no  little  degree,  governed  by  its  magnitude.  It- affords  a  point  of 
insertion  to  the  short  flexors  of  the  limb,  as  well  as  gives  shelter  to  the 
perforans  and  perforatus  tendons  in  their  passage  toward  the  pastern 
and  the  foot.  Its  magnitude,  therefore,  not  only  favors  muscular  action, 
but  also  indicates  the  dimension  of  those  important  stractures  which  this 
bone  protects. 

The  forearm  should  be  long;  the  shin  ought  to  be  comparatively 
short.  The  reach  depends  on  the  first,  the  length  of  which  secures  an 
extra  amount  of  motor  activity.  No  muscles  of  importance  are  located 
upon  the  shin :  bone  and  tendon  are  the  principal  components  of  this 
region.  The  part  should  not  be  absolutely  straight,  for  such  a  form  is 
incompatible  with  all  idea  of  living  beauty;  but  at  the  same  time  it 


INCLINATIONS  OP  THE   PASTERNS. 


A  LONG   AND   SLANTINQ    PASTERN. 


A  NATURAL   PASTERN. 


AN  UPRIGHT   PASTERN. 


AN  OrSRSHOI  PASTERN. 


ought  to  present  no  obvious  inequalities  or  sudden  enlargements.  The 
bone  should  be  compact,  giving  to  this  portion  of  the  limb,  when  viewed 
from  the  front,  almost  the  appearance  of  being  deficient  in  bulk;  but 
when  regarded  from  the  side,  the  lower  part  of  the  leg  cannot  be  too 
broad ;  for  breadth  and  strength  are  here  synonymous. 


POINTS.  411 

The  above  rule  applies  with  equal  stringency  to  both  legs, — ^to  the 
hind  limb  below  the  hock  as  well  as  the  more  forward  member  from  the 
knee  downward.  Each  should  be  thin,  when  viewed  from  the  front. 
Neither  can  well  be  too  deep,  when  seen  from  the  side.  Both  should 
appear  solid,  and  each  should  feel  almost  of  metallic  hardness.  The 
pastern-joint  should  not  present  a  level  surface,  when  viewed  laterally; 
and  as  it  proceeds  downward  to  join  the  foot,  a  graduated  enlargement 
should  exist. 

Much  comment  is  usually  indulged  upon  the  horse's  pastern.  The 
degree  in  which  this  part  may  or  may  not  slope,  has  been  authoritatively 
defined.  The  reader  will  best  judge  of  these  opinions,  by  considering 
the  purposes  for  which  the  pastern  was  created.  Its  intention  is  to 
endow  the  tread  with  elasticity.  The  fetlock  of  a  racer,  wheif  the  ani- 
mal trots,  may  be  seen  to  touch  the  earth  every  time  the  weight  rests 
upon  the  foot :  nevertheless,  the  thorough-bred  has,  during  the  conten- 
tion, to  endure  the  very  excess  of  action.  There  must,  therefore,  be 
something  erroneous  in  the  popular  judgment  which  connects  weakness 
with  the  motion  of  this  part,  or  no  rac^r  could  ever  reach  the  goal ;  and 
if  a  quadruped  does  occasionally  break  down,  the  likelihood  of  such  a 
misfortune  is  not  regulated  or  to  be  foretold  by  the  pliability  of  the 
pastern-joint.  However,  that  the  reader  may  estimate  the  value  of  the 
prejudice,  various  pasterns,  designed  according  to  the  general  phrase- 
ology, have  been  submitted  to  his  inspection. 

To  enable  the  purchaser  to  arrive  at  a  sound  decision,  it  is  necessary 
to  state  that  the  inclination  of  this  region  is  governed  by  the  major 


flexor  tendons  which  are  situated  underneath  or  behind  them.  Their 
slanting,  therefore,  is  regulated  by  no  peculiarity  in  the  forms  of  the 
bones  themselves,  but  is  controlled  by  and  dependent  upon  the  condition 
of  another  structure.  4-  short,  upright  pastern,  if  it  can  bear  any  evi- 
dence at  all,  testifies  to  a  stubborn  and  unyielding  state  of  the  great 


412  POINTS. 

flexor  muscles,  the  weight  being  then  thrown  upon  the  osseous  supports. 
The  play  of  the  pastern  denotes  nothing  more  than  the  healthy  elasticity 
of  the  flesh  upon  the  tendon  proper  to  which  the  osseous  structures 
repose.  The  bones  have  no  motor  power  belonging  to  themselves.  The 
upright  and  the  overshot  pastern  suggest  no  change  in  the  more  solid 
frame;  but  such  alterations  prove  that  excessive  work  has  strained  the 
great  flexors  of  the  limb,  and  destroyed  the  inherent  property  of  elasticity 
with  which  every  muscle  is  endowed  by  nature.  The  burden  being  then 
supported  by  an  osseous  pillar  instead  of  an  elastic  band,  of  course  jar 
or  concussion  ensues  upon  the  abnormal  change. 

Thus,  alteration  in  the  natural  position  of  an  oblique  bone  is  of  great 
importance  to  a  purchaser ;  and  to  judge  properly  of  the  pastern-joint,  the 
substance  swelling  forth  beneath  the  elbow  must  be  regarded.  Should 
this  portion  of  the  body  be  mean  or  wanting  in  development,  hard  work 
will  probably  induce  it  to  become  rigid,  or  labor  may,  ultimately,  cause 
the  pastern-joint  to  shoot  forward  and  out  of  its  proper  situation. 

The  flexor  tendon  likewise  influences  another  part.  The  perforans  is 
inserted  into  the  sole  of  the  coffin-bone,  or  into  the  bone  of  the  foot. 
The  direction  in  which  the  toes  point  is,  therefore,  regulated  by  a  sub- 
stance so  far  distant  that  the  attempt  to  connect  the  two  organs  may,  to 
the  uninformed  mind,  seem  somewhat  ridiculous.  Yet,  the  statement 
being  correct,  the  fact  renders  the  position  of  the  elbow  of  more  import- 
ance; for  according  to  the  situation  of  that  bone  the  hoofs  will  be 
directed.  Thus,  an  ulna  or  an  elbow  which  is  drawn  toward  the  trunk 
will  be  attended  with  a  toe  inclined  outward.  When  the  bone  turns 
from  the  body,  the  forward  portion  of  the  hoof  is  directed  inward. 
When  the  framework  is  properly  constructed,  the  hoofs  point  forward; 
for  horses'  hoofs  are  liable  to  those  derangements  which  the  human  foot 
exhibits,  and  generally  with  like  results.  Only,  in  man,  striking  one 
leg  against  the  other,  during  progression,  is  not  attended  with  the  unfor- 
tunate consequences  which  such  an  occurrence  often  will  induce  when 
this  accident  happens  to  the  quadruped. 

IMCUNATIONB  AND  DEFECTS  OF  THE  FEET,  AS  WELL  AS  SAMPLES  OF  ODD   HOOFS. 


HOOFS  POINTINa  FORWARD.  HOOFS   POINTING   OUTWARD.  HOOFS   POINTINO   INWABD. 

By  the  pasterns  recently  exhibited  it  will  have  been  observed  that  the 
inclination  of  the  bones  influences  the  slant  of  the  hoof.     The  two 


POINTS.  4ia 

structures  are  so  connected  one  with  the  other  that  neither  can  be 
independent,  for  the  direction  of  the  pastern,  of  course,  determines  the 
nature  of  the  weight  imposed  upon  the  foot.  Thus,  should  the  foot  re- 
ceive more  than  a  normal  pressure,  this  circumstance,  by  throwing  the 
weight  upon  the  bones,  occasions  the  muscles  to  contract,  and  produces 
upright  or  overshot  fetlock-joint.  Nevertheless,  the  hoof  is  operated 
upon  by  other  agency.  Diseased  action  will  also  interfere  with  the 
growth  of  its  outward  covering.  The  member  may,  under  such  injurious 
excitement,  when  long  continued,  eventually  become  deformed. 

The  place  of  birth  also  influences  the  horn.  Thus,  a  quadruped  brought 
up  on  the  fens  of  Lincolnshire,  generally  displays  a  flat  sole,  a  weak,  a 
low,  and  a  slanting  crust.  The  horse  whose  native  land  is  dry  or  sandy, 
mostly  exhibits  the  hoof  high  in  the  quarter  and  thick  in  its  incasement. 
The  creature  with  feet  of  the  intermediate  sort,  which  a  few  years  ago 
were  esteemed  the  model  form,  is  generally  the  inhabitant  of  a  moist, 
but  not  of  a  wet  district.  The  horn,  therefore,  is  indirect  evidence  of 
the  rearing ;  and  the  author  has  now  to  consider  how  far  its  condition 
can,  by  itself,  be  regarded  as  a  positive  proof  of  any  other  fact. 

There  is  one  defect  not  generally  observed,  but  which  should  always 
be  studied  in  every  examination  of  the  feet.  It  may  surprise  the  reader, 
when  the  autljor  declares  it  to  be  very  far  from  an  uncommon  circum- 
stance to  encounter  a  horse  with  odd  hoofs,  or  with  feet  of  different  sizes. 
Such  a  peculiarity  is  totally  independent  of  the  defective  inclination  of 
the  toes,  and  may  be  seen'  in  horn  of  any  possible  condition,  or  in  feet 
of  any  variety  of  form. 

An  animal  becomes  lame  in  the  foot.  If  the  lameness  is  removed  in 
reasonable  time,  the  affection  disappears,  and  leaves  no  trace  behind  it. 
But  let  it  continue  for  months,  and  during  such  a  period  the  sufferer  will 
throw  little  or  no  weight  upon  the  diseased  member.  The  part  will  be 
rested.  The  purpose  or  function  of  the  organ  will  be  counteracted  by 
the  will  of  the  animal.  The  consequence  of  long  disuse  will  be  a  pro- 
portionate decrease  in  size.  Upon  recovery,  the  loss  of  bulk  is  seldom 
restored ;  for  if  the  foot  is  then  employed,  so  also  is  the  sound  one ;  and 
the  action  being  equal,  of  course  it  does  not  particularly  affect  one  ex- 
tremity, but  operates  on  both  alike. 

The  difference  in  the  feet  may  not  be  so  startling  as  to  enforce  atten- 
tion to  the  deformity.  It  is  seldom  of  this  nature.  Most  probably  it 
will  require  some  discrimination  to  detect  it.  In  the  last  engraving,  the 
author  endeavored  to  depict  the  defect  as  it  was  generally  exhibited. 
None  of  the  hoofs  there  delineated  positively  match,  though  very  prob- 
ably the  reader  had  not  remarked  their  differences.  However,  the 
slightest  disagreement  is  an  accepted  proof  that  disease  has  been  pres- 


4W  POINTS. 

ent, — at  what  time,  whether  recently  or  long  ago,  of  what  nature,  whether 
structural  or  functional,  the  examiner  cannot  tell :  he,  however,  assumes 
lameness  has  existed,  has  endured  for  some  period,  and  he  fears  that  the 
organ  which  has  been  afflicted  may  retain  a  liability  to  repeated  visita- 
tions of  a  similar  misfortune. 

The  so-called  model  foot  is  very  liable  to  change,  and  not  less  likely 
to  exhibit  disease.  It  is  very  pretty  to  look  at ;  but  it  does  not,  as  a 
rule,  undergo  much  work  without  alteration.  This  opinion,  however, 
must  be  regarded  only  as  announcing  a  general  law ;  for  though  the  in- 
telligent Mr.  Bracy  Clarke  puts  forth  engravings  illustrative  of  the  effects 
which  work  produces  upon  the  model  foot,  nevertheless  the  writer  of  the 
present  volume  has  seen  hoofs  of  this  description  which  have,  without 
apparent  injury,  endured  constant  shoeing,  as  well  as  perpetual  battering 
upon  the  dreaded  London  pavement. 

The  slanting  crust,  weak  heels,  and  low  soles  are,  however,  not  to  be 
commended.  These  are  among  the  worst  points  which  the  equine  form 
can  present,  and  they  are  too  commonly  the  forerunners  of  sad  internal 
disease,  as  ossified  cartilages,  sand  crack,  pumice  foot,  etc. 

After  long  reflection,  the  author  must  express  a  preference  for  the  high 
or  the  stubborn  hoof.  When  doing  this,  he  is  consciously  opposing  his 
unsupported  opinion  against  the  firmly  and  repeatedly  expressed  judg- 
ment of  his  professional  brethren.  He  therefore  can  ask  no  man  to 
agree  with  his  decision ;  but  he  humbly  requests  the  reader  to  peruse 
the  grounds  of  his  conviction,  before  hastily  condemning  its  declaration. 

The  horse  is  a  native  of  a  dry  and  an  arid  soil.  Such  a  region  in- 
duces that  which  the  inhabitants  of  this  country  stigmatize  as  an  excess 
of  horn  or  an  abnormally  high  sole.  This  kind  of  hoof  therefore  would 
appear  to  be  natural  to  the  animal :  at  all  events,  such  a  foot  must  have 
been  general  before  the  invention  of  iron  shoes.  Moreover,  when  the 
immense  weight  of  the  creature's  carcass  is  considered,  and  the  manner 
in  which  bearing  is  increased  by  speed  is  also  properly  regarded,  a 
necessity  for  the  stoutest  hoof  must  be  fully  apparent. 

In  addition  to  the  above  inferences,  the  author  may  advance  his  own 
observation,  carefully  made  through  a  number  of  years :  that  all  animals 
exhibiting  strong  crusts  are  not,  necessarily,  cripples;  but  that  the 
creature  with  such  a  development  of  horn  is  in  consequence  less,  infi- 
nitely less,  liable  to  pedal  derangements.  The  contrary  conclusion  has 
been  upheld,  because  most  men  thought  the  excess  of  horn  must  check 
expansion,  and  also  severely  pinch  the  internal  structures.  With  regard 
to  the  last  deduction,  all  outward  developments  are  produced  by  and  are 
governed  by  the  inward  organs  which  these  shelter.  The  secreting 
member  may  be  soft,  and  the  secreted  substance  may  be  hard ;  still,  by 


POINTS.  415 

a  wise  provision  of  nature,  the  tender  structure  rules  the  insensitive 
material  which  it  produces.  Therefore  the  horn  cannot  press  upon  or 
pinch  the  internal  portions  of  the  foot,  any  more  than  the  skull  can  com- 
press the  healthy  brain  which  it  protects. 

Then  as  to  the  supposed  want  of  expansibility.  The  hoof  may  appear 
stubborn  when  between  the  human  fingers;  but  while  supporting  the 
body  of  a  horse,  it  is  exposed  to  the  operation  of  a  force  altogether 
greater  than  any  which  man  is  able  to  exert.  The  question  therefore  is 
not  whether  the  hoof  is  very  yielding,  but  whether  it  is  so  obdurate  as 
to  resist  the  huge  weight  of  the  animal  when  aiding  the  mechanical  force 
of  speed  and  the  vital  action  of  muscular  power. 

The  author,  however,  while  making  the  above  declaration,  supposes 
form  to  be  united  with  stoutness.  Where  the  heels  have  become  "wired 
in,"  and  the  crust  has  assumed  the  upright  figure,  the  internal  structures 
must  be  in  an  altered  condition,  and  the  points  of  bearing  for  the  different 
portions  of  the  limb  must  be  entirely  changed.  The  quarters  in  the  last 
kind  of  foot  are,  frequently,  remarkably  stubborn.  They  are  rather  in- 
clined to  crack  than  to  expand.  Such  parts  will  not,  by  their  innate 
elasticity,  fly  inward  on  the  leg  being  raised  from  the  ground,  and  thus 
regulate  the  amount  of  blood  which  shall  be  poured  into  the  hoof; 
neither  will  they  expand  when  the  weight  is  cast  upon  the  foot,  and  thus 
allow  free  egress  to  the  current  which  is  violently  expelled  in  consequence 
of  the  superimposed  burden  driving  the  fluid  upward. 

The  upright  hoof  and  narrow  heels  are,  generally,  all  but  unyielding. 
They  have  lost  their  natural  function,  and  the  harmony  of  the  whole  is 
destroyed.  In  consequence,  the  blood,  instead  of  being  expelled  from 
the  hoof,  cannot  escape  from  the  pressure  of  the  bony  structures.  The 
vessels  within  which  the  fluid  circulates  are  not  formed  to  sustain  unin- 
jured so  vast  a  burden.  They  rupture  under  the  weight ;  hence  this 
peculiar  form  of  foot  is  commonly  accompanied  with  corns.  Therefore, 
because  corns  are  a  disease,  and  because  disease,  being  once  generated, 
is  not  in  its  course  or  duration  to  be  prognosticated  with  certainty,  an 
upright  hoof  and  wired  in  quarters  are  decided  unsoundness:  although 
stoutness,  simply  considered,  is  rather  a  recommendation  than  a  defect. 

The  author  may  not  dwell  at  greater  length  on  this  portion  of  his  sub- 
ject; but  those  who  desire  further  information  may  with  advantage  con- 
sult Miles's  works  upon  the  horse's  foot,  which  are  the  best,  the  cheapest, 
and  the  most  lucid  books  upon  this  topic  in  the  English  language.  They 
are  written  in  a  style  which  the  most  unlettered  may  comprehend ;  but 
when  recommending  them,  the  author,  in  his  own  justification,  may  state 
that  the  views  therein  expressed  frequently  differ  from  those  opinions 
which  are  contained  in  the  present  volume. 


416         ,  POINTS. 

Looking  back  upon  such  portions  of  the  frame  as  have  formed  the 
subject  of  the  late  remarks,  there  are  certain  points  which  are  invariably 
present  in  every  well-made  animal.  A  very  broad,  full  chest  is  advan- 
tageous for  slow  work ;  but  for  slow  work  only.  Where  speed  or  activity 
is  desired,  depth  of  thorax  is  indispensable ;  yet  the  cavity  should  not 
be  narrow  or  the  sides  flat ;  while  the  exterior  of  the  ribs  should  appar- 
ently encircle  sufficient  space.  The  general  contour  should,  moreover, 
excite  no  idea  of  fixedness :  the  part  should  convey  a  notion  of  its  capa- 
bility for  easy  and  for  rapid  alteration  of  magnitude. 

The  abdomen  should  neither  be  large  nor  small.  The  exhibition  of 
either  failing  announces  a  radical  defect.  The  belly  ought  rather  to 
gracefully  continue  the  line  of  the  chest,  than  by  its  protuberance,  or  the 
reverse,  to  enforce  its  existence  specially  upon  the  notice  of  the  spectator. 
All  may  be  considered  right  when  the  form  eUcits  no  remark ;  but  when 
it  challenges  observation,  the  fact  does  not  indicate  that  everything  is  as 
the  purchaser  could  desire. 

The  position  and  the  muscularity  of  the  shoulder  are  the  main  points 
in  the  forehand.  With  respect  to  the  limbs,  these  should  leave  the  body 
as  though  they  were  parts  of  its  substance.  They  can  hardly  be  too 
large  where  they  emerge  from  the  trunk ;  and  the  forearm  can  scarcely 
be  too  long.  The  knee-joint  should  be  broad  and  flat ;  while  the  bone 
which  projects  forth  posteriorly  should  be  well  pronounced  and  evenly 
situated.  The  shin  should  be  hard  to  the  touch,  and  broad,  when  viewed 
laterally.  The  leg  should  seem  straight  and  strong;  the  feet  standing 
close  together,  and  the  toes  pointing  in  a  forward  direction,  rather  than 
inclining  to  the  outward  or  to  the  inward  direction. 

Such  is  a  general  view  of  organs,  all  of  which  are  of  equal  import- 
ance. Breathing  and  digestion  are  such  vital  functions,  it  would  be 
supererogation  did  the  author  pretend  to  point  out  their  importance. 
It  may  be  otherwise  with  the  fore  limbs.  Their  use  is  not  popularly 
compi'ehended ;  those  members  are  exposed  to  numerous  accidents  and 
liable  to  many  diseases.  This  predisposition  is  generally  explained,  by 
saying  they  are  nearer  to  the  heart  than  the  hind  legs  are,  and  the 
straighter  form  is  more  favorable  to  a  descent  of  the  arterial  current 
than  is  the  angularity  of  the  posterior  extremities;  therefore  this  por- 
tion of  the  frame  is  more  open  to  acute  affections. 

The  facts  stated  are  certainly  correct.  So  is  the  less  freedom  allowed 
to  the  forelegs,  by  confinement  in  and  fastening  the  head  to  a  manger  in 
a  stall.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  whole  truth.  There  are  other  causes 
in  operation.  The  province  of  the  fore  limb  is  to  uphold  the  trunk. 
Thus,  at  all  times,  the  member  has  to  support  no  inconsiderable  burden ; 
but  when  that  load  is  increased  by  the  weight  of  a  rider  or  is  augmented 


POINTS.  411 

by  the  drag  of  the  collar,  the  tug  of  the  shafts,  and  the  generally  pend 
ent  position  of  the  head,  the  reader  may  conjecture  the  force  with  which 
the  limb  must  be  driven  to  the  earth,  especially  during  any  rapid  in- 
crease of  motion. 

The  continued  battering  to  which  the  leg  is  subjected  naturally  ex- 
poses it  to  much  suffering,  which  the  comparative  fixedness  in  the  stable 
greatly  aggravates.  As  the  uses  are  severe,  so  are  its  afflictions  painful ; 
and  it  hazards  nothing  to  assert  that  very  much  of  the  sorrow  which  visits 
the  animal  is  dependent  upon  the  diseases  or  the  accidents  which  are  in- 
separable from  these  forward  supports  of  the  body  and  of  the  load. 

When,  however,  the  person  called  upon  to  exercise  a  judgment  in  the 
purchase  of  a  nag  is  so  new  to  the  subject  as  to  be  incapable,  of  forming 
an  opinion,  there  is  one  primary  test  which  seldom  deceives ;  and  upon 
the  evidence  thus  evolved  the  merest  tyro  is  fully  qualified  to  pronounce. 
Let  such  a  man  mount  the  animal,  and,  when  seated  in  the  saddle,  he 
can  surely  decide  whether  he  appears  to  be  close  upon  the  neck  or 
placed  far  behind  upon  the  back.  A  well-made  animal,  by  the  inclina- 
tion of  the  shoulder  and  by  the  amplitude  of  the  withers,  forbids  the 
forward  location  of  its  rider;  whereas  a  worthless  quadruped,  by  the 
lowness  of  the  first  dorsal  spines  and  the  upright  position  of  the  blade- 
bones,  allows  the  rider  almost  to  rest  upon  its  neck — thereby,  because 
of  the  greater  weight  to  be  supported  by  the  front  limbs,  increasing  the 
natural  liability  of  the  forward  members  to  exhibit  disease. 

The  reason  why  such  a  formation  should  be  specially  noticed  is,  upon 
reflection,  made  apparent.  The  hind  legs,  by  their  greater  motor  power, 
always  have  a  disposition  to  throw  the  weight  upon  the  forward  member. 
When  this  tendency  is  augmented  by  the  burden  on  the  back,  the  conse- 
quence must  be  a  destruction  of  any  approach  to  an  equilibrium. 

The  horse's  body  is,  by  nature,  given  four  props — one  at  each  corner 
of  the  trunk.  But  when  a  human  load  is  lodged  almost  over  the  fore 
limb ;  when  the  front  leg  is  placed  far  behind  the  chest ;  and  when  the 
head  swings  in  advance, — all  approach  to  a  proportionate  amount  of 
burden  is  destroyed.  The  forward  extremities  then  take  a  position 
almost  in  the  middle  of  the  substance,  a  proportionate  incumbrance 
being  removed  from  the  posterior  extremities.  The  hind  members  have 
less  to  do,  and  excessive  duty  is  imposed  upon  the  weaker  organs,  the 
motor  machine  being  deprived  of  safety  during  progression. 

While  on  the  back,  the  rider  should  ascertain  the  shoulders  are  of 
equal  bulk,  or  have  not  suffered  injury,  and  that  the  trunk  is  sufficiently 
developed  to  afford  a  secure  grip  for  the  thighs  of  the  master.  Many 
animals  are  so  narrow  as  to  necessitate  sensible  muscular  exertion  on 
the  part  of  an  equestrian,  and  thus  materially  to  detract  from  the  pleasure 

2t 


418 


POINTS. 


of  horse  "exercise.  This  matter  is  the  more  important,  because  stoutness 
of  the  body  allows  a  fair  inference  to  be  drawn  as  to  the  substance  of 
tHe  haunches.  It  is  true,  no  absolute  law  may  therefrom  be  deduced ; 
but  as  expectation  is  warranted,  the  fact  should  always  be  remarked 


A  KIDER   HAVING    PLENTY   BEFORE   HIM   WHEK 
IN   THE   SADDLE. 


A  RIDER   CLOSE   ON   THE   NECK   WHEN 
IN   THE   SADDLE. 


The  haunch  is  that  portion  of  the  frame  upon  which  a  capability  for 
work  is  chiefly  dependent.  This  region,  therefore,  should  appear  to  be 
the  embodiment  of  strength.  It  should  not  seem  soft,  or  invite  those 
pats  which  inexperienced  horsemen  are  fond  of  administering  to  this 
portion  of  the  body,  but  the  aspect  ought  rather  to  suggest  firmness  and 
power;  for  here  resides  the  force  which  must  propel  the  load  or  direct 
the  bound.  Always  choose  an  animal  with  good  haunches,  and  invari- 
ably regard  the  position  of  the  tail ;  as  the  situation  of  the  dock,  when 
on  a'line  with  the  back-bone,  denotes  the  greatest  possible  length,  and 
therefore  the  largest  amount  of  muscular  activity  to  be  present. 

Never  purchase  a  horse  which  is  recommended  as  fully  equal  to  carry 
your  weight;  for  the  dealer  who  asserts  this  is,  by  his  interest  in  the 
sale,  incapacitated  from  forming  a  just  opinion.  But  ostensibly  appear 
to  seek  a  horse  for  a  friend — never  for  yourself — and  state  the  nominal 
owner  to  ride  at  least  four  if  not  six  stone  heavier  than  the  would-be 
purchaser.  There  is  a  saying,  that  an  animal  will  run  away  with  too 
light  a  load  ;  but  that  assertion  is  mere  noijsense.  Most  vicious  quad- 
rupeds are  weakly  creatures.  The  powerful  frame  is  generally  united  to 
an  even  temper.  Strength  does  not  endanger  the  female  equestrian, 
although  ladies  generally  are  mounted  upon  the  best-made,  the  strongest, 
and  the  most  valuable  steeds.  Indeed,  this  argument  is  never  urged, 
save  when  a  gentleman  hesitates  to   accept  a  weakly  quadruped,  or 


POINTS. 


419 


A   COARSE-BRED  HACNCH. 


desires  to  obtain  the  one  which  the  dealer  is  not  very  anxious  should 
be  purchased. 

In  illustration  of  this  subject  an  engraving  is  inserted,  which  repre- 
sents better-made  quarters  than  are  commonly  beheld  on  a  native  or 
coarsely-bred  animal.  But  the  reader  can 
hardly  fail  to  remark  that  though  the  devel- 
opments are  not  deficient  in  width,  yet  the 
general  aspect  rather  denotes  softness  than 
expresses  strength  or  suggests  determination. 
The  tail  is  well  set  on  for  this  kind  of  quad- 
.ruped;  still,  the  point  of  the  rump-bone  is 
not  even  indicated.  The  spectator  must 
guess  at  its  precise  location,  as  he  cannot,  by 
the  unaided  vision,  detect  its  exact  situation. 
Bulk  is  not  absent,  yet  that  which  should  be 
its  attendant  is  not  prominent.  The  bones 
of  the  leg  seem  long,  but  the  hocks  are  not  remarkable  for  size  or  con- 
spicuous for  form.  The  limbs  are  not  moved  with  that  independence  of 
action  which  gives  to  the  step  of  the  horse  its  air  of  resolution,  but  they 
are  advanced  as  though  one  was  timid  of  proceeding  too  far  without  the 
other. 

Yet,  the  inquirer  may  journey  long  and  travel  far  before  he  will  meet 
the  equal  of  the  quarters  here  depicted.  The  generality  of  these  parts, 
on  the  animals  of  the  coarser  breed,  are  much  narrower;  the  tail  is 
seldom  encountered  springing  from  a  position  so  near  to  the  level  of 
the  spine ;  while,  short  as  the  extent  of  the  posterior  muscles  niay 
appear  in  the  previous  illustration,  these  are  frequently  to  be  seen  of 
more  circumscribed  dimensions. 

In  contrast  to  the  foregoing,  the  accom- 
panying engraving  depicts  the  quarters  of  a 
blood  horse.  In  this  illustration,  symmetry 
and  beauty  are  equally  preserved ;  but,  with 
these  qualities,  also  are  blended  other  attri- 
butes, which  ennoble  and  elevate  the  object. 
Strength,  power,  and  determination  are  im- 
pressed upon  the  image.  Every  muscle  goes 
direct  to  the  part  on  which  it  operates.  The 
posterior  line,  on  being  traced  from  the  dock 
to  the  leg,  does  not  seem  to  hesitate  between 
the  bone  of  the  member  and  the  stifle-joint. 

The  leg  itself  is  thicker,  but  its  greater  substance  depends  upon  the 
presence  of  muscle.    The  hock  is  cleaner,  and  uses  of  the  part  are  better 


A  THOROUGH-BRED  HAUNOH. 


420  POINTS. 

characterized.  The  calcis,  as  the  backward  projection  is  technically- 
termed,  stands  forth  prominently  and  affords  the  greater  leverage  for  the 
motor  agents  to  act  upon. 

When  the  quarters  of  the  two  breeds  are  contrasted,  the  difference  is 
found  to  be  extreme ;  the  pervading  attributes  of  each  characterizes  the 
innate  qualities  of  the  animal  to  which  the  part  belonged.  The  distinc- 
tions which  divide  the  two  are  by  these  members  well  indicated.  There 
was,  some  time  back,  a  loud  discussion  as  to  what  kind  of  horse  was 
best  fitted  for  ordinary  purposes.  The  old  staging  days  should  have 
settled  such  a  question ;  for  then  fast  coaches  found  the  employment  of 
the  nobler  quadrupeds  to  their  interest.  Where  slow  and  heavy  propul- 
sion  is  desired,  the  coarser  animal  is  infinitely  to  be  preferred.  For  all 
the  gentler  purposes  of  society,  the  thorough-bred  is,  in  the  author's 
opinion,  to  be  recommended.  Only,  these  fine  creatures  should  be  prop- 
erly reared ;  they  ought  not,  as  now,  to  be  produced  with  all  the  haste 
of  greed,  and  cast  upon  the  general  public  when  found  unsuited  to  the 
purposes  for  which  they  were  generated. 

It  is  offensive,  if  not  painful,  to  hear  persons  speak  of  certain  horses 
as  though  particular  quadrupeds  were  created  only  for  special  uses.  A 
good  horse  is  fit  for  nearly  every  purpose ;  but  such  an  animal  is  gen- 
erally employed  for  the  saddle.  A  thorough-bred,  with  lofty  and  well- 
developed  quarters,  is  too  valuable  not  to  be  appropriated  by  the  race- 
course. A  blood,  with  so  much  bulk  and  stoutness  as  to  indicate  the 
qualities  of  endurance  rather  than  of  speed,  is  always  destined  to  be- 
come a  hunter.  Horses  of  the  purer  breed  are  supposed  not  well  suited 
for  gentlemen's  hacks.  Good  animals  of  this  description  are  only  too 
valuable  for  common  purposes ;  but  no  creature  is,  by  its  intelligence,  its 
activity,  its  gracefulness  or  its  beauty,  so  admirably  qualified  for  the 
companionship  of  man  as  the  noblest  type  of  the  equine  race. 

The  manner  in  which  the  racer  trots  is  asserted  to  express  the  action 
which  is  natural  to  all  of  the  thorough-breed.  Before  the  reader  agrees 
to  that  assertion,  he  should  remember  the  trot  is  not  a  natural  pace,  nor 
one  which  the  racer  is  broken  to  exhibit.  Seen  upon  the  course,  the 
foot  evidently  moves  too  near  the  earth  to  clear  the  ruts  of  most  Eng- 
lish highways.  Yet,  as  there  shown,  the  motion  is  not  to  be  despised. 
During  it,  at  each  step  the  limbs  are  extended ;  the  reach  is  admirable, 
and  affords  a  far  better  foundation  for  excellence  in  a  hack  than  the 
up-and-down  pounding  motion  which  is  so  highly  esteemed  by  the 
ignorant. 

The  greatest  possible  speed,  with  the  least  possible  amount  of  exer- 
tion, is  secured  by  the  thorough-bred  trot.  The  ground  is  cpvered,  while 
the  pace  is  easy  and  pleasant  to  the  rider.     It  is  very  opposite  to  that 


POINTS.    •  421 

which  medical  gentlemen  occasionally  recommend  as  a  "hard-trotting 
horse."  A  child  might  sit  upon  the  back  of  a  well-bred  steed.  The 
author  recollects  to  have  only  seen  one  animal  of  this  description  em- 
ployed  as  the  riding  companion  of  a  gentleman.  The  master  (a  northern 
nobleman)  was  evidently  proud  of  his  possession ;  for  the  hack  abounded 
in  energy  and  with  fire.  The  life  never  appeared  fresher  in  a  colt ;  but, 
on  inspecting  the  teeth,  the  writer  was  pleasantly  surprised  to  behold 
indications  which  denoted  that  at  least  twelve  years  had  been  passed. 
The  following  illustration  will  suggest  to  the  inexperienced  reader  the 
more  striking  peculiarities  which  characterize  the  well-bred  action. 


Any  quadruped  is  supposed  suited  for  the  collar  when  it  displays 
points  which  unfit  it  for  the  saddle.  A  prime  saddle  horse,  however, 
always  makes  the  best  harness  animal ;  only,  it  is  considered  too  valu- 
able for  such  a  purpose.  There  is  but  one  law  which  is  absolute  with 
draught  horses.  In  them,  the  forelegs  are  pardoned  a  few  faults;  but 
the  hind  quarters  should  always  be  powerful.  That  is  desirable  in  all 
quadrupeds ;  for  draught  of  every  kind  it  is  essential ;  it  should  never 
be  overlooked,  or  the  want  of  such  a  property  ever  be  pardoned. 

There  is  another  point  of  importance.  Any  gentleman  purchasing  a 
draught  horse — no  matter  whether  for  cart,  for  carriage,  or  for  phaeton 
— be  it  for  any  kind  of  vehicle,  he  should  be  certain,  before  the  transfer 
is  concluded,  that  the  new  possession  stands  high  enough.  Nothing 
looks  worse  than  small  horses  before  a  tall  carriage.  The  living  power 
may  be  in  excess — it  can  hardly  appear  too  mighty — but  an  inch  below 
the  requisite  size  gives  to  the  most  elegant  and  the  newest  of  "turn 
outs "  a  shabby  and  a  mean  appearance.  The  draught  may  be  Hght ; 
the  horses  may  not  be  overweighted;   still,  no  fact  or  knowledge  can 


422 


POINTS. 


recoiioile  the  eye  to  the  general  effect,  where  animals  are  small  for  the 
machine  to  which  they  are  harnessed. 

Of  recent  years  there  has  been  displayed  a  desire  to  infuse  the  East- 
em  blood  into  the  heavier  breed  which  is  native  to  this  country.  The 
desire  was  commendable ;  but  its  gratification  has  led  only  to  evil.  It 
has  enabled  the  dregs  of  the  race-course  to  be  palmed  off  upon  the  pub- 
lic. A  thin  and  lanky  offshoot  of  thorough-bred  stock  can  be  of  no  value. 
These  things  should  not  be  bought  by  gentlemen  for  any  kind  of  service. 
The  time  has  come,  when  it  is  simple  prudence  that  the  public  should 
refuse  longer  to  absorb  the  cast-offs  of  the  stud  farm.  No  doubt,  before 
the  breeding  of  blood  stock  became  a  general  practice,  the  infusion  of 
Eastern  fire  and  activity  was  a  national  boon ;  for  a  reference  to  engrav- 
ings of  a  few  years  back  exhibits  the  animal  suited  only  for  a  plow  used 
as  ladies'  palfreys.  The  following  copy  from  a  figure,  presented  in  the 
famous  folio  work  by  a  former  Duke  of  Newcastle,  will  give  the  reader 
some  notion  of  the  kind  of  horse  once  chosen  to  carry  the  fairest  portion 
of  creation  in  the  British  isles. 


lADT,  HAWKINO. 


From  the  above  illustration,  which  may  be  well  supposed  to  embody 
the  height  of  fashion  and  the  cream  of  style  shortly  after  the  accession 
of  Charles  the  Second,  the  reader  can  imagine  the  practical  knowledge 


POINTS.  ■ias 

possessed  by  those  writers  who  speak  of  James  the  First  as  having 
greatly  improved  the  native  breed  of  horses,  and  quote  the  benefit* 
conferred  upon  the  national  race  by  the  more  temperate  but  equally 
determined  enthusiasm  of  Cromwell,  operating  in  the  same  direction. 

At  this  place,  the  reader  must  have  patience  while  the  method  of 
judging  the  limbs  is  pointed  out.  When  the  dealer  exhibits  an  animal, 
the  customer's  eye  always  should  endeavor  to  ascertain  the  bulk  or  sub- 
stance of  the  creature  which  he  is  expected  to  purchase.  To  do  this, 
let  the  eye  be  directed  toward  the  chest,  to  ascertain  if  the  forelegs  are 
separated  by  any  breadth  of  thorax,  or  whether  they  spring  from  the 
body  almost  from  the  same  point.  This  decided,  a  glance  may  be  given 
to  the  line  of  the  forelegs;  these  parts  also  can  be  viewed  as  the 
gentleman  passes  backward.  Having  reached  the  last  situation,  he  ob- 
serves if  the  thighs  are  large  and  fleshy,  keeping  the  legs  well  asunder; 
also,  whether  the  hocks  are  rightly  placed,  are  huge,  and  are  cleanly 
shaped. 

Such  remarks  are  important,  since  the  disposition  to  cut  is  generally 
decided  by  the  width  of  the  horse's  trunk.  Any  deficiency  in  this  re- 
spect indicates  weakness,  as  well  as  declares  a  general  unfitness  for 
severe  labor.  This  circumstance  being  observed,  it  is  usual  for  the  horse 
to  be  run  up  and  down  the  ride.  While  the  limbs  are  in  motion,  the 
spectator  should  notice  the  peculiarities  of  their  carriage.  A  flexion  of 
the  front  shin  to  the* outer  side  warrants  a  belief  in  the  existence  of  a 
splint.  When  the  hind  limb  is  not  properly  flexed,  but  the  toe  is  allowed 
to  graze  the  ground,  it  is  a  positive  proof  that  the  hock  is  disabled  by 
the  presence  of  a  spavin. 

A  worse  evil,  however,  is,  when  the  forelegs,  during  progression, 
crossing  each  other,  the  trot  becomes  a  sort  of  "hand-over-hand"  pace. 
This  kind  of  action  is  accompanied  by  "speedy  cut,"  or  by  a  wound 
made  upon  one  leg,  immediately  below  the  knee,  with  the  shoe  on  the 
opposite  foot.  That  defect  justifies  an  instant  rejection;  for  such  a 
liability  is  incompatible  with  safety,  as  the  blow  too  often  brings  the 
animal  and  its  rider  to  the  earth.  The  legs  being  close  is  the  cause  of 
"brushing"  or  of  "cutting," — a  most  troublesome  defect,  which  inflicts 
a  wound  considerably  nearer  to  the  ground  than  speedy  cut. 

Before  purchase,  the  hair  on  the  inner  side  of  the  legs  should  be 
carefully  examined.  If  a  cicatrix  or  a  bare  spot  is  discovered  near  to 
the  seat  of  cutting;  if  any  paint  or  coloring  matter  can  be  detected  upon 
the  part ;  or  if  the  hair  does  not  lie  perfectly  smooth  upon  the  place  of 
injury, — have  nothing  to  do  with  the  animal.  It  is  quite  true  that  most 
fresh  and  nearly  all  young  horses  will  cut — others  strike  only  toward  the 
end  of  a  long  journey ;  but  it  is  also  true  that  particular  horses,  how- 


424  POINTS. 

ever  fresh  or  however  tired  they  may  be,  never  strike  or  cut.  The 
quadruped  which  a  gentleman  desires,  is  one  that  does  not  contain  evi- 
dences of  a  liability  to  accident  or  to  disease.     He  wishes  for  a  sound 


AN  EXAQOERATED  VIEW  OF  A  WEAK  ANIMAL,  WITH  DANGEROUS  ACTION. 

animal;  and  one  disposed  to  strike  certainly  cannot,  in  the  author's 
opinion,  be  so  esteemed.  Every  man  wants  a  horse  for  service ;  but  the 
creature  which  may  at  any  moment  receive  a  wound  that  shall  incapaci- 
tate, assuredly  cannot  be  esteemed  a  serviceable  possession,  in  any 
meaning  of  the  words. 

While  examining  the  legs,  the  gentleman  should  also  notice  the  shoes 
upon  the  different  feet.  If  these  are  rusty,  the  fact  demonstrates  that 
the  horse  has  been  wearing  wet  swabs,  and  has  been  long  stationary  in 
the  stable.  The  circumstance  is  suspicious.  In  horse  dealing  a  justifia- 
ble suspicion  is  always  acted  upon  as  an  established  fact.  If  the  shoes 
are  of  rude  make  and  much  worn,  it  looks  badly ;  and  though  it  is  no 
recommendation,  it  justifies  no  inference.     But  if  the  shoes  be  thicker  at 


POINTS.  425 

one  part  than  at  another ;  if  the  horse,  being  a  nag,  should  wear  very 
high  calkins ;  if  the  toe  be  shortened,  or  one  side  of  the  metal  is  ob- 
viously narrowed, — it  denotes  precautions  against  clicking  and  against 
overreaching :  the  first  being  a  most  audible  annoyance,  which  may  lead 
to  the  forcible  tearing  away  a  fore  shoe ;  and  the  last  causing  a  fearfuli 
a  terrible,  and  an  incapacitating  wound  upon  the  heel  of  the  foreleg 
Also,  should  the  toe  of  the  hind  shoe  be  ground  down,  while  the  heel 
exhibits  no  obvious  wear,  the  fact  demonstrates  the  existence  of  a 
spavin.  Either  clicking,  overreaching,  or  spavin  is  legitimate  cause  for 
rejection. 

The  reader,  from  a  perusal  of  the  foregoing  remarks,  will  comprehend 
a  few  of  the  diflBculties  which  beset  the  purchaser  of  a  horse ;  and  these 
may  warn  him,  in  some  measure,  of  the  dangers  that  surround  a  person 
so  engaged.  The  author  is  a  veterinary  surgeon,  of  some  experience ; 
but  he  would  be  very  sorry  to  buy  a  steed  for  himself  upon  his  unsup- 
ported opinion.  He  would  always  have  the  animal  examined  by  a  pro- 
fessional man  ere  the  purchase  was  concluded.  How  greatly,  therefore, 
must  the  general  public  stand  in  need  of  such  protection !  Especially 
when  the  known  hazard  of  the  transaction  and  the  confusion  necessarily 
accompanying  a  direct  personal  interest  in  the  business  help  to  confound 
the  intellect  and  to  overpower  the  judgment ! 

All  persons  complain  of  the  roguery  that  is  mixed  up  with  horse 
dealing.  The  complaint  is  just;  but  it  is  not  just  that  the  public  should 
vent  it.  It  is  the  general  abuse  and  the  inhuman  treatment  to  which 
animal  life  is  subjected  that  renders  such  practices  necessary.  The  cru- 
elty and  the  roguery  are  associated  as  closely  as  cause  and  effect.  Let 
the  provocative  be  discarded,  and  its  result,  of  course,  must  cease.  But 
no  man  should  blame  the  conduct  which  his  own  deeds  have  willfully 
generated.  To  hurt  and  to  injure  a  patient  and  an  obedient  animal  is  a 
positive  sin,  —  a  violation  of  the  trust  confided  by  the  Creator  to  the 
creature.  To  defraud,  in  a  money  transaction,  is  simply  a  crime, — an 
offense  committed  upon  the  laws  by  man  established  over  man.  Then, 
what  right  has  he  who  violates  one  of  the  ordinizations  of  nature,  to 
point  at  and  to  sigh  over  the  person  who  merely  breaks  a  human  insti- 
tution ? 

Christianity,  if  its  benefits  were  exemplified  in  man's  actions  toward 
the  creatures  living  under  his  dominion,  would  immediately  operate  upon 
society.  The  horse,  under  better  treatment,  would  of  course  not  be  Ua- 
ble  to  those  injuries  and  accidents  which  roguery  in  the  dealer  merely 
endeavors  to  conceal.  There  would  be  no  occasion  for  cheating  when 
the  creature  exhibited  no  scar  or  defect  which  the  seller  was  interested 
to  hide  or  to  deny.     Thus  one  stain  upon  the  present  civilization  would 


426  POINTS. 

be  abolished ;  for,  notwithstanding  the  numerous  assertions  to  the  con- 
trary, the  author  has  yet  to  see  the  man  who  practiced  dishonesty  from 
a  sheer  love  of  iniquity. 

The  well-to-do  may  lament  the  immorality  of  the  class  below  them ; 
but  if  gentility  would  look  less  leniently  upon  itself,  probably  the  exhibi- 
tion of  crime  might  be  viewed  as  no  more  than  the  apex  of  a  pyramid 
whose  base  is  deeply  planted  in  the  frailties  which  are  common  to  gen- 
eral society. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BREEDING ITS  INCONSISTENCIES  AND   ITS  DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

« 

There  are  very  dissimilar  kind  of  horses  produced  in  this  country,  tlie 
breeding  of  which  concerns  many  different  classes  of  proprietors,  and  all 
of  which  are  ushered  into  this  world  with  most  opposite  formalities; 
therefore  no  author  may  pretend  he  is  qualified  to  write  about  every  de- 
scription of  animal,  with  any  air  of  authority.  The  person,  however, 
who  has  long  thought  upon  the  subject,  and  who,  by  education,  is 
fitted  to  arrive  at  a  just  opinion,  may  reach  a  conclusion  which,  with- 
out appeahng  to  the  prejudices  or  interfering  with  the  mysteries  of 
any  particular  class,  nevertheless  shall,  in  its  decision,  apply  with  equal 
force  to  the  entire  body. 

The  writer  states  thus  much,  because,  though  not  absolutely  without 
experience,  he  yet  can  put  forth  no  pretension  to  be  specially  initiated 
into  those  practices  and  tricks  which  ignorant  people  suppose  to  be  re- 
quisite for  the  essential  regulation  of  particular  affairs.  Neither  does  he 
aspire  to  be  esteemed  a  proficient  in  jockeyship,  which  the  public  appear 
to  imagine  involves  everything  concerning  the  equine  race.  The  follow- 
ing pages  are  indited  by  an  individual  who,  fond  of  the  subject,  and  in- 
structed as  a  veterinarian,  has  now  attained  an  age  when  the  mind 
should  be  equally  above  the  errors  natural  to  schools  and  the  supersti 
tious,  which  appear  to  be  inseparable  from  general  society. 

There  is  one  fault  which  is  exempUfied  with  the  like  strength  by  all 
parties  who,  in  England,  assume  they  understand  the  breeding  of  horses. 
Every  proprietor,  when  so  engaged,  endeavors  to  render  the  mare  sub- 
servient to  two  or  to  three  distinct  uses.  All  will  bum  the  candle  at 
both  ends ;  then  the  public  sympathizers  raise  a  loud  exclamation  be- 
cause such  willful  extravagance  does  not  specially  serve  any  economical 
or  any  useful  purpose.  Nobody  dreams  of  propagating  from  an  animal 
until  its  body  has  been  injured  and  its  vitality  has  been  weakened  by 
services  rendered  to  an  exacting  master.  The  results  which  labor  can 
impress  upon  a  living  organism  may  be  observed  emphasized  upon  the 
manufacturing  classes  of  Great  Britain ;  but  much  as  has  been  published 

(427) 


428  BREEDING. 

concerning  the  cruelty  which  man  can  practice  on  his  fellow-man,  such 
inhumanity  cannot  be  compared  with  the  torments  which  are,  openly 
and  without  a  sense  of  wrong-doing,  inflicted  upon  the  dumb  existence 
that  cannot  plead  its  wrongs,  and  which  the  social  code  even  permits  to 
be  maltreated. 

There  may  be  an  enactment  applicable  to  extreme  cases ;  but  the  most 
acute  anguish  no  statute  touches.  •  Where  the  law  is  operative,  death  is 
always  near  the  extremity  which  mortal  justice  condescends  to  relieve. 
To  prevent  extraordinary  agony,  is  not  to  soften  the  general  treatment. 
No  man  hitherto  has  conceived  there  can  be  any  outrage  committed 
upon  charity  by  breeding  from  the  body  which,  through  a  life  of  service, 
had  earned  a  right  to  rest.  But  most  horse  proprietors  only  "throw  up" 
the  animal  they  intend  should  perpetuate  its  race,  after  strains  and  pains 
have  rendered  longer  life  a  larger  misery.  Work,  in  this  land,  appears 
with  quadrupeds  to  be  esteemed  a  necessary  preparation  for  "the  stud." 
No  one  in  this  country,  famous  throughout  the  world  for  its  breed  of 
horses,  seems  to  be  endowed  with  any  distant  conception  of  the  age 
which  fits  the  body  for  the  reproduction  of  its  kind ;  but  all  appear  to 
imagine  the  period  is  any  time  after  the  capacity  for  toil  has  diminished. 
What  a  comment  is,  by  the  custom,  promulgated  upon  the  Christianity 
which,  after  more  than  eighteen  hundred  years  of  doctrine,  the  inhabit- 
ants of  many  places  besides  Great  Britain  may  point  to  in  illustration  of 
their  belief ! 

Bodies  crippled  by  too  early  labor,  or  carcasses  disabled  by  disease, 
are  generally  found  among  the  breeding  stud  of  a  modern  establishment. 
The  foals  of  nearly  all  breeds  are  injured  before  the  little  creatures  see 
the  light;  it  is,  therefore,  no  matter  for  surprise  that  a  breeding  mare  is, 
by  the  majority  of  farmers,  esteemed  to  be  a  losing  concern.  In  the 
case  of  blood  stock,  both  sire  and  dam  are  submitted  to  the  trainers'  pro- 
cesses ere  the  second  stage  of  equine  babyhood  has  been  perfected. 
Certainly  where  an  amusement  is  pursued  with  a  reckless  defiance  of 
economy,  a  little  longer  grace  might  be  accorded  to  the  animals  employed 
to  promote  it ;  or  where  the  topmost  prize  is  estimated  not  by  tens  but 
by  thousands,  it  might  be  prudent  to  speculate  with  a  little  forbearance 
for  such  a  reward. 

Has  it  never  occurred  to  a  nobleman,  or  to  any  gentleman,  that  it 
might  probably  be  as  profitable  to  keep  the  most  promising  foals  sapred 
to  breeding  purposes;  that,  simply  as  a  paying  speculation,  it  might 
answer  to  do  for  the  course  what  agriculturists  have  done  for  the  land, — 
only  with  this  difference,  that  whereas  one  desires  bulk,  the  other  should 
aim  at  courage,  strength,  and  speed?  Animals,  if  well  cared  for,  and 
never  placed  in  the  trainers'  hands,  would  in  all  probability  bring  forth 


BREEDING.  429 

finer  specimens  of  horse  flesh  thas  either  their  parents  or  their  progeni- 
tors. These  foals,  being  selected  and  kept  apart  until  the  sixth  year, 
might  generate  young  which  should  sweep  the  land;  and  a  stud  of 
"  clippers  "  would,  assuredly,  prove  a  pretty  private  property. 

Such  a  plan  includes  much  more  care  than  is  at  present  bestowed. 
The  author  well  remembers,  some  years  back,  going  through  the  straw 
yard  of  a  "stud  farm,"  in  the  depth  of  a  severe  winter.  The  place  was 
covered  with  mares  and  their  newly-born  progeny.  Separated  only  by 
a  few  open  rails,  was  a  flock  of  yearlings,  whose  staring  coats  and  ragged 
manes  told  emphatically  of  exposure  and  of  neglect.  This  should  not 
be.  The  animals  should,  from  their  birth,  be  securely  sheltered  and 
liberally  nurtured.  He  who  first  accomplishes  this,  would  most  probably 
convert  that  which  at  present  is  a  hazardous  speculation  into  a  certain 
gain. 

How  far  a  youth  passed  in  running  improves  the  reputation  of  some 
quadrupeds,  is  well  known ;  but  how  far  it  is  a  good  preparation  for  the 
offices  of  paternity,  is  exemplified  by  most  blood  mares  and  stallions  be- 
coming famous  through  their  progeny  only  after  years  of  repose  have 
mitigated  the  chronic  evils  of  their  early  life.  Prejudice,  however,  takes 
no  heed  of  such  teaching ;  but  maintains  the  absolute  necessity  of  proving 
both,  before  sire  or  dam  are  allowed  to  perpetuate  their  kind.  The  con- 
sequence of  this  system  is  shown  in  the  deformed  and  the  misshapen 
dwarfs  which  are  now  ruining  the  once-prized  native  breed  of  English 
horses. 

A  huge  error  also  distinguishes  the  plan  adopted  by  most  breeders 
for  the  general  market.  The  prevailing  opinion  discards  the  compact 
and  close-knit  female,  in  favor  of  the  long-backed  and  loose-bellied  mare, 
which  is  praised  as  a  "roomy"  animal.  But  all  the  supposed  advantages 
of  this  selection  are  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  food  which  is 
consumed  during  the  months  of  gestation.  A  grass  diet  promotes 
dropsy,  besides  necessitating  so  much  of  the  poor  and  watery  nutriment 
to  be  swallowed  that,  before  the  quantity  requisite  to  sustain  life  can  be 
eaten,  more  than  the  difi'erence  of  space  between  the  shortest  and  the 
most  expanded  abdomen  must  be  occupied. 

The  stabled  horse  employs  but  a  brief  period  of  each  day  in  feeding. 
The  same  animal,  when  turned  into  the  field,  nearly  occupies  both  day 
and  night  collecting  the  food  needed  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  its  appe- 
tite. This  difi'erence  of  habit  is  not  explained  away  by  stating  that  in 
the  stable  only  so  much  sustenance  is  placed  before  the  quadruped; 
whereas,  when  at  grass,  the  produce  grows  on  every  side  of  the  creature, 
which  it  is  always  at  liberty  to  consume.  Many  an  animal  will  not 
clear  the  manger ;  therefore  the  quantity  of  food  devoured  in  the  field  is 


ISO  BREEDING. 

only  to  be  accounted  for  by  that  opinion  which  justly  states  grass  to  be 
a  poor  and  innutritions  sustenance. 

The  distinction  which  divides  the  two  kinds  of  provender  is,  perhaps, 
best  shown  by  the  condition  which  each  produces.  The  horse  supported  by 
the  concentrated  nourishment  of  the  stable  is  commonly,  while  the  natural 
powers  are  uninjured,  characterized  by  energy,  by  firmness  of  body,  and  by 
fineness  of  limb.  Whereas  the  quadruped  is  seldom  long  an  inhabitant  of 
the  field  ere  it  becomes  windy,  loose,  flabby,  dropsical ;  the  walls  of  the  ab- 
domen are  unnaturally  distended ;  the  digestive  canal  grows  thin  and  pal- 
lid ;  the  belly  becomes  pendulous  with  fluid ;  while  worms  crowd  the  intes- 
tines and  bots  cover  the  lining  membrane  of  the  stomach.  All  this  takes 
place  as  the  consequences  which  generally  follow  the  act  of  turning  out  to 
grass.  The  animal  in  the  field  commonly  performs  no  work ;  but  when 
within  the  stable  is  rarely  idle.  Stables  are  badly  victualed,  badly  ven- 
tilated, and  almost  slaughter-housea  to  the  majority  of  steeds.  Yet  in 
the  cold  and  humid  climate  of  England  horses  cannot  thrive  upon  ex- 
posure. Some  few  may  thus  exist  in  an  approach  to  the  wild  condi- 
tion; but  these  rapidly  diminish  in  stature  and  soon  become  very 
shaggy  coated.     The  sheltered  horse,  when  driven  forth,  grows  dull  and 


BLOOD   MARE  AND  FOAL. 


ragged;  its  coat  stares;  the  spirit  droops;   the  eye  loses  luster;   the 
carriage  grows  mean;  the  legs  fill;  and  the  outcast  often  experiences 


BREEDING. 


431 


such  a  shock  to  the  system  as  ruins  its  utility.  While  agricultural 
teams,  which  are  mostly  pastured,  are  not  unseldom  the  victims  of 
numerous  diseases,  as  broken  wind,  etc. 

The  common  country  sire  probably  is  injured  from  an  opposite  cause. 
Its  food,  during  the  early  months  of  spring,  is  generally  of  too  stimu- 
lating a  nature.  These  creatures  are  to  be  seen  led  about,  very  much 
too  fat  for  the  proper  performance  of  their  functions.  Obesity  in  other 
animals  does  not  increase  fruitfulness,  but  rather  suppresses  its  develop- 
ment; and  the  author  can  perceive  no  reason  why  the  heavier  horse 
should  be  an  exception  to  a  rule  of  almost  universal  application.  Com- 
mon stallions,  as  beheld  at  fairs  and  markets,  are  weakened  in  order  to 
please  the  ignorant  farmers  who  employ  these  enervated  animals  to  per- 
petuate the  thews  and  muscles  of  the  mart  for  English  horses. 


ATTENDS   AT   FAIRS   AND   ON   MARKET  DATS. 


From  dams  suffering  under  the  consequences  of  an  exhausted  youth, 
injured  by  the  consumption  of  an  innutritions  diet,  and  debased  by  the 
absence  of  that  care  and  cleanliness  which  a  northern  climate  makes 
imperative,  is  the  common  breed  of  English  horses  replenished.  Stal- 
lions, however,  afford  a  convincing  proof  that  abundant  food  and  perfect 
rest,  when  unaided,  will  not  impart  vigor  to  a  debilitated  system.  Few 
racers  are  famed  for  their  stock,  till  time,  which  weakens  the  powers  of 
the  body,  has  effaced  the  consequences  of  early  training. 


432  BREEDING. 

From  sires  groaning  under  accumulation  of  fat,  and  of  course  equally 
pining  under  deterioration  of  the  muscles,  enervated  by  sloth,  excited 
by  stimulants,  weakened  by  age,  or  with  constitutions  broken  by  pre- 
mature exertions,  are  the  claims  of  British  thorough-breds  at  present 
maintained. 

What  are  the  results  of  such  a  system  ?  Distances  have  to  be  short- 
ened. Many  start;  but  few  return,  contesting  the  race.  Ages  have  to 
be  altered ;  while  boys  have  to  assume  the  cap  and  the  whip.  Useless 
weights  are  sought  to  suit  the  failing  strength ;  but  more  animals  break 
down  in  the  training  than  come  to  the  post. 

Yet  racing  is  maintained,  not  for  the  amusement  of  a  few,  but  to  im- 
prove the  national  breed  of  horses  !  How  far  does  it  answer  its  purpose  ? 
Let  the  public  markets  testify.  A  stout  hack  is  a  rarity.  Such  an 
animal  was  once  all  but  universal.  A  brougham  horse — one  looking 
fit  to  pull  a  house — was  formerly  to  be  found  in  every  yard.  Now  Lon- 
don shall  be  searched  through  before  the  shadow  of  the  original  can  be 
encountered ;  when  discovered,  the  price  demanded  will  be  far  too  heavy 
for  the  generality  of  purchasers.  The  horse  flesh  of  England  is  becom- 
ing weedy  under  a  forced  system.  Poor  "bloods"  are  everywhere 
present.  In  the  sphere  to  which  this  breed  should  be  confined,  a  few 
foals  are  retained ;  but  the  majority  are  discarded.  Many  are  born  that 
do  not  return  the  first  expense  which  called  them  into  existence.  Those 
rejected  are  to  be  seen  drawing  cabs,  carrying  riders,  pulling  carts,  and 
performing  every  office,  which  is  at  once  a  proof  of  their  utter  want 
of  value  and  the  hollowness  of  the  pretense  which  perpetuates  such 
degradation. 

The  glut  of  worthless  "bloods"  serves  to  check  the  raising  of  the  other 
and  the  better  kind  of  animals.  The  refuse  of  the  stud  farm  being  dis- 
posed of  to  the  highest  bidder,  so  far  keeps  down  the  price  of  common 
horses  that  what  are  termed  serviceable  quadrupeds  have  become  scarce 
throughout  the  land  which  once  produced  them  in  abundance.  Thus 
blood  stock  is  contaminating  the  native  breed  of  the  country.  Even 
with  particular  breeds — or  with  the  Cleveland  bays — the  horses. which 
dragged  the  cumbrous  vehicles  of  our  ancestors  are  lost  to  the  present 
generation.  Carriages  are  built  lighter ;  but  the  animals,  being  nearly 
pure  blood,  lack  strength  and  want  substance.  They  are  now  a  leggy, 
a  washy,  a  soft  species  of  creature,  which  gentlemen  find  it  cheaper  to 
hire  than  to  buy;  while  only  by  keeping  a  herd  large  enough  to  allow 
some  to  be  nursed  and  others  to  rest,  does  any  person  find  it  profitable 
to  retain  these  quadrupeds,  even  though  the  money  paid  for  three  years' 
loan  should  double  the  usual  price  given  for  an  average  pair  of  such  poor 
and  abject  deformities. 


BREEDING.  433 

The  consequence  is,  that  many  gentlemen  drive  small  horses,  while 
omnibus  proprietors,  etc.  prefer  the  coarser  breeds.  People  are  now 
aware  that  the  lesser  size  renders  the  purchase  easier,  enables  the  horses 
to  last  longer,  while  sickness  is  not  only  less  frequent,  but  the  consump- 
tion of  fodder  is  altogether  smaller  in  quantity.  Carriages  are  now  built 
of  diminished  height  and  of  lighter  draught ;  therefore  the  expense  of 
such  a  convenience  is  in  many  ways  lessened.  Indeed,  the  custom  has 
become  so  general  and  has  so  many  advantages  to  recommend  it  that 
dealers  cannot  afford  to  trade  in  Clevelands,  the  sale  and  the  possession 
of  which  quadruped  is,  by  the  modern  salesman,  without  a  murmur 
relinquished  to  the  job  master. 

The  entire  system  must  be  changed,  or,  while  it  continues,  men  should 
consult  the  Calendar  only  to  learn  what  sire  to  avoid.  The  blood  stock 
has  been  bred  too  fine :  all  the  properties  which  formerly  distinguished 
it  are  now  deteriorated.  As  greyhounds  were  improved  by  being  crossed 
by  the  bull-dog,  so  does  the  English  racer  demand  the  infusion  of  little 
"cocktail"  into  his  lineage.  The  Jockey  Club  must  not  perpetuate  the 
weakness  of  that  animal  which  this  society  pretends  to  conserve.  Dis- 
tances should  be  lengthened,  weights  increased,  and  ages  made  not  to 
favor  the  maltreatment  of  mere  foals.  Nothing  would  do  more  to  pro- 
mote an  improvement  in  the  breed  of  English  horses  than  a  stoical 
determination  which  should  render  useless  the  present  abundant  crop 
of  "weeds."  Sires  should  be  chosen  because  of  their  stamina,  their 
make,  their  thews,  their  muscles,  and  their  general  soundness.  The 
quadruped  should  be  treated  "naturally;  not  enervated  by  first  being 
trained,  and  then  debilitated  by  being  pampered. 

At  the  same  time,  that  excessive  obesity  which  is  remarkable  in  all 
existing  stallions  of  the  ordinary  breeds  should  be  avoided ;  nor  should 
the  stimulants  now  in  general  use  ever  be  employed.  No  animal  should 
ever  be  kept  in  solitude  and  in  darkness,  as  though  its  worth  were  de- 
pendent on  the  amount  of  mystery  by  which  it  can  be  surrounded.  Such 
treatment  is  cruel;  therefore  it  is  needless.  An  entire  horse  is  not, 
necessarily,  a  savage,  though  many,  being  spirited  creatures,  are  made 
dangerous  by  the  tricks  played  upon  them  and  by  the  restraints  to  which 
they  are  needlessly  subjected.  In  several  countries  emasculation  is  un- 
known. Though  in  India,  native  rudeness  and  European  prejudice  may 
engender  ferocity,  the  author  can  boast  of  having  made  friends  of  animals 
that  had  undergone  no  deprivation ;  and  the  memories  of  such  friend- 
ships are  cherished  with  something  more  than  the  recollections  of  mere 
equine  gentleness. 

To  illustrate  this  subject,  the  author  must  be  pardoned  if  he  intro- 
duces an  incident  which  occurred  to  himself.  He  was  of  middle  age 
♦  28 


434  BREEDING. 

when  he  entered  as  a  student  at  the  Royal  Yeterinaiy  College.  His 
mind  became  confused  by  the  new  sort  of  companions  which  he  encoun- 
tered ;  by  the  novel  objects  which  surrounded  him ;  and  by  the  strange 
kind  of  knowledge  he  was  required  to  master.  This  confusion  was  the 
greater,  because  previous  habit  in  the  writer  had  not  rendered  him 
familiar  with  horse  flesh.  An  animal,  therefore,  was  needed,  so  that 
reference  might  be  made  to  its  body  for  an  explanation  of  the  books 
which  the  pupil  was  expected  to  comprehend.  At  length,  in  the  corner 
of  a  back  yard  was  discovered  a  lonely,  loose  box.  Inside  there  was  a 
quadruped;  and  to  this  place  the  volume  was  daily  taken,  with  various 
morsels  of  bread  or  vegetable.  Thus,  between  feeding,  reading,  examin- 
ing and  caressing,  many  an  afternoon  was  most  pleasantly  whiled  away. 

It  was  necessary  to  indulge  in  certain  intimate  familiarities.  Some- 
times to  change  the  position  of  the  animal,  or  to  finger  its  lower  extremi- 
ties. When  doing  this,  the  author  possessed  no  jockeyship  to  protect 
him,  neither  was  he  conscious  that  any  protection  was  necessary.  He 
used  to  shut  himself  up  with  the  companion  of  his  studies;  and  the 
hours  thus  spent  he  now  remembers  as  among  the  very  happiest  of  his 
existence. 

More  than  a  fortnight's  leisure  had  been  pleasantly  occupied,  when,  as 
the  writer  was  one  afternoon  stealing  to  the  being  which  lightened  the 
tedium  of  his  studies,  and  was  in  the  act  of  opening  the  door,  a  number 
of  fellow-students  detected  him  so  engaged.  "  Mayhew  I  Mayhew  1" 
the  group  shouted,  as  with  one  voice,  "where  are  you  going?  Don't 
open  that  door!  'Yan  Amburg'  is  there  !  He's  a  kicker  and  a  biter  1 
You'll  be  killed  1     Don't  open  the  door !" 

Yan  Amburg  was  the  name  of  the  thorough-bred  racer,  which  had 
been  sent  to  the  College  "for  operation,"  because  of  its  supposed  ferocity. 
Tet  I,  a  novice,  had  passed  many  an  hour  in  its  society,  and  assert  I 
could  not  have  desired  a  more  gentle  companion.  We  have  often  laid 
long  together  side  by  side ;  or,  as  I  reclined  upon  the  straw,  reading,  the 
head  would  rest  upon  my  shoulder,  while  a  full  stream  of  fragrant 
warmth  would  salute  my  cheek.  Still,  such  a  creature,  so  open  to  ad- 
vances, so  grateful  for  little  kindnesses,  was  a  reputed  savage !  Proba- 
bly its  real  disposition  continued  to  be  maligned,  and  remains  now 
unknown,  save  only  to  him  whose  ignorance  was  made  happier  by  a  dis- 
covery of  the  truth. 

A  training  stable  is  not  calculated  to  develop  the  true  disposition  of 
a  high-spirited  animal.  A  horse  generally  retains  the  character  which 
is  earned  in  such  a  place.  When  no  longer  running,  but  kept  for 
"service," — boxed  up  and  chained,  debarred  from  all  freedom  of  motion, 
highly  fed,  and  teased  to  the  performance  of  his  office, — such  a  creature 


BREEDING.  435 

cannot  be  good  tempered,  or  long  continue  very  sound.  Such  usage  i? 
parent  to  many  an  ailment  and  to  many  a  disease ;  but,  nevertheless, 
when  surrounded  by  mystery,  the  stallion  may  for  years  continue  profita- 
ble to  its  proprietor.  It  may  be  the  means  of  transmitting  malformation 
to  its  descendants;  yet  the  attendant  who  could  best  describe  its  real 
condition  has,  in  the  money  which  is  always  paid  to  the  groom,  a  direct 
pecuniary  interest  to  uphold  the  public  ignorance. 

The  thorough-bred  mare  fares  even  worse.  The  animal  may  get  one 
or  two  feeds  of  corn  each  day;  but  its  chief  support  is  grass,  which 
crams  the  viscera  without  satisfying  the  appetite  or  nourishing  the  body. 
The  creature,  when  "thrown  up"  for  stud  purposes,  exchanges  an  over- 
heated stable  for  an  open  shed.  From  the  exhaustion  generated  by 
closeness,  it  has  to  endure  the  coldness  of  all  but  absolute  exposure. 
The  coat  is  no  longer  dressed ;  the  mane  is  left  uncombed ;  the  animal 
gradually  turns  to  a  pottled  deformity,  the  resemblance  of  which  may  be 
generally  witnessed  near  to  every  gipsies'  encampment. 

All  animals  which  are  intended  to  perpetuate  their  race  should  be 
comparatively  young,  and  only  subjected  to  such  easy  toil  as  will  repay 
the  difference  between  the  stable  and  the  field.  The  quadrupeds  should 
be  daily  groomed,  and  ought  to  be  supported  by  fodder  of  an  extra  nu- 
tritious character.  Gentle  labor  and  a  warm,  loose  box  will  only  keep 
the  body  in  good  health.  When  not  required  to  work,  the  animal  should 
be  left  at  liberty  to  roam  about  a  piece  of  bare  pasture,  especially  during 
the  night,  when  the  flies  are  not  abroad,  and  when  the  vision  of  the 
horse  enables  it  to  move  with  perfect  safety. 

This  treatment  should  be  continued  almost  to  the  time  of  foaling; 
when  the  period  is  very  near,  three  weeks  or  a  month  of  perfect  rest  may 
be  accorded,  duration  being  regulated  by  the  condition  of  the  animal. 
Rest,  however,  does  not  imply  that  the  expected  mother  is  to  be  turned 
into  a  straw  yard,  or  is  to  be  exposed  to  the  inclemency  of  the  season. 
One  month  subsequent  to  birth,  the  work  may  be  gradually  resumed ; 
but  the  mare  and  her  foal  should  not  yet  be  made  to  travel  on  the  high- 
roads. The  little  life  may,  in  the  fields,  safely  gambol  by  its  parent's 
side.  The  exercise  will  benefit  the  youngster,  while  its  eye  will  become 
accustomed  to  the  toil  with  which  it  will  have  to  be  associated  hereafter. 
But  the  tender  hoof  of  the  newly  born  is  not,  at  the  expiration  of  the 
fourth  week,  so  formed  or  so  hardened  as  to  endure  the  grate  of  the 
common  highways,  although  the  feet  may  sustain  the  wear  consequent 
upon  moving  over  meadow  land. 

The  foal,  before  it  saw  the  light,  would  be  sustained  by  the  good  food 
consumed  by  its  mother;  the  mare  would  not,  by  gentle  work,  be  so 
lowered  as  to  unfit  the  quadruped  for  the  offices  of  maternity.     By  se- 


436 


BREEDING. 


lecting  Ihe  jobs  to  be  executed,  these  need  not  require  greater  exertion 
than  would  bb  necessitated  by  healthful  exercise.  Thus  a  suggestion, 
which  to  many  minds  may  appear  a  heartless  exaction,  being  explained, 
becomes  no  more  than  a  conservative  recreation.  Something  of  the  kind 
is  needed,  because  gestation  and  lactation  naturally  dispose  to  sloth,  and 
half  the  danger  of  parturition  springs  from  the  debility  which  idleness 
engenders. 


THE  MANNER  IN   'WHICH   A   MARB   MAY   EABN   ITS   KEEP,   DCRINQ   THE   PERIOD   OP   LACTATION. 


To  render  this  subject  more  easily  understood,  let  the  reader  ask  the 
family  medical  attendant  who  is  blest  with  the  strongest  child — the 
wealthy  lady,  who  can  afford  to  repose  throughout  the  day  upon  a  sofa, 
or  the  tradesman's  wife,  who  is  necessitated  to  bustle  about,  and  to  assist 
in  the  lighter  portions  of  the  household  duties  ?  Or,  if  a  more  direct 
illustration  be  needed,  it  is  afforded  by  the  contrast  presented  between 
{he  swarming  cabin  of  an  Irish  laborer  and  the  often  heirless  mansion 
of  the  English  aristocrat. 

Were  such  a  custom  only  prevalent  as  has  been  indicated,  those 
"stud  farms,"  where  mares  are  taken  in  and  confined  in  the  straw  yard, 
with  newly-born  foals  by  their  sides,  would  be  thrown  out  of  use.  The 
animal,  being  daily  harnessed,  would  be  constantly  inspected.  There  is 
always  plenty  of  light  employment  for  one  horse,  if  a  farm  be  kept  in 
order.     These  odd  jobs  are  now  either  neglected  altogether,  or  are  suf- 


BREEDING.  437 

fered  to  accumulate  until  a  wagon-load  of  rubbish  encumbers  the  soil. 
To  remove  such  heaps  and  obstructions  from  time  to  time,  the  mare  ano\ 
a  boy  might  be  profitably  engaged,  doing  quite  work  enough  to  pay  for 
corn  and  to  recompense  for  grooming.  The  necessary  handling  would 
prevent  that  condition  of  semi-wildness  into  which  too  many  mares  de- 
generate; while  the  nature  of  the  labor  would  not  render  it  profitable 
for  a  proprietor  of  lancj  to  keep  more  than  one  quadruped  for  breeding, 
which  is  the  number  that  most  farmers  could  find  leisure  to  attend  to 
without  neglecting  other  things. 

In  the  author's  opinion,  the  measures  at  present  pursued  in  the  breed- 
ing of  horses  are  altogether  wrong.  They  are  expensive  in  their  opera- 
tions and  are  deceptive  in  their  results.  They  seem  to  be  regulated  by 
no  consideration  for  the  animal,  but  shaped  to  the  utter  convenience  of 
man.  The  use  of  "stud  farms  "  or  breeding  establishments  has  increased 
with  the  degeneracy  of  blood  stock.  The  horse  is  by  nature  too  inti- 
mately associated  with  its  master  to  be  profitably  reared  in  flocks,  like  to 
sheep  or  oxen,  which,  being  unsuited  for  the  active  purposes  of  life,  and 
of  duller  dispositions  than  the  equine  race,  can  thrive  on  mere  tran- 
quillity, increasing  in  the  state  of  semi-domestication.  The  horse  is 
gifted  with  a  spirit  which  refuses  to  vegetate,  to  fatten,  and  to  naultiply, 
being  content  simply  with  an  abundance  of  provender.  "Where  success- 
ful speculation  is  dependent  upon  the  value  of  the  produce  rather  than 
upon  the  number  of  foals  born,  a  man  may  certainly  be  lycher,  who  shall 
in  two  years  obtain  one  prime  birth ;  and  he  may  be  much  poorer,  who 
is  annually  the  owner  of  various  yearlings,  none  of  which  shall  be  suited 
to  the  higher  purposes  of  the  breed. 

The  proper  place  for  the  horse  is  the  homestead  of  the  proprietor. 
It  is  the  servant,  and  should  be  the  companion  of  its  owner.  There  is 
no  other  living  creature  which  is  so  entirely  blended  with  man.  It  is 
unknown  in  the  wild  state, — the  flocks  of  horses  spoken  of  as  wild  being 
merely  animals  which  are  turned  out  on  uninhabited  plains,  but  which, 
nevertheless,  are  strictly  private  property.  The  distinguishing  mark  of 
wildness — or  a  tendency  to  return  to  a  particular  color — is  lost  in  this 
quadruped.  Wild  sheep  and  goats  are  common.  Oxen,  as  an  undo- 
mesticated  race,  are  largely  represented.  But  on  the  face  of  the  globe 
the  horse — though  the  most  intelligent  and  the  fleetest  of  its  genus — is 
not  to  be  discovered  unassociated  with  humanity. 

The  creature,  thus  distinguished,  merits  that  the  gentleness  of  civili- 
zation should  characterize  its  treatment.  During  the  months  of  gesta- 
tion, the  animal  should  be  fondled  and  caressed.  Any  kindness  which 
may  be  now  lavished  upon  the  submissive  slave  will  be  certainly  repaid 
hereafter.     The  hour  is  approaching  when  a  familiarity  with  man  may 


438  BREEDING. 

soft«n  restraint,  aud  render  less  perilous  the  time  of  danger.  Ths  mare, 
being  more  intelligent  than  the  cow,  feels  more  acutely,  and  does  not 
suffer  so  apathetically.  It  is  more  demonstrative  in  its  behavior;  but 
the  generous  quadruped  will,  in  the  utmost  wrench  of  agony,  recognize 
the  step  or  the  voice  of  one  who-  has  been  kind,  and  will  even  be  sus- 
tained by  the  presence  of  him  who  has  earned  its  confidence.  The 
animal  is  by  gentleness  wooed,  as  it  were,  to  submission.  It  learns  to 
associate  happiness  with  the  person  of  its  superior ;  and  willingly  sub- 
jects itself  to  his  assistance.  Moreover,  there  is  a  depth  in  nature  which 
humanity  has  not  fathomed,  and  the  indulgences  bestowed  upon  the 
mother,  in  some  mysterious  manner  may  serve  to  tame  the  progeny 
that  is  not  yet  numbered  among  the  host  of  this  world's  inhabitants. 

Then,  following  the  author's  proposed  m'ode  of  treating  a  mare,  which 
shall  be  profitable  for  brood  purposes,  let  the  most  promising  female  foal 
be  destined  from  its  birth  for  this  function.  It  should  never  be  placed 
in  the  hands  of  a  "breaker,"  or  have  its  back  strained  by  being  mounted. 
The  creature  should  be  rather  coaxed  to  toil  than  coerced  to  labor ;  it  is 
astonishing  how  much  more  can  be  accomplished  by  such  means  than 
will  be  effected  by  the  harsher  methods.  Subsequent  to  the  fourth  year, 
the  quadruped  may  earn  its  keep ;  but  it  should  never  be  urged  beyond 
that  point,  and  where  a  difference  must  exist,  the  balance  should  stand 
in  the  animal's  favor.  Only  the  lightest  jobs  should  be  chosen — the 
mare  being  treated  more  like  a  favorite  slave  than  regarded  as  the  servile 
drudge,  whose  exhaustion  will  tend  to  the  profit  of  a  harsh  proprietor. 

In  this  manner  the  first  six  years  should  be  passed,  when  the  mare, 
being  matured  sufficiently,  and  uninjured  by  work,  may  be  put  to  the 
destined  purpose ;  similarity — not  sameness,  but  more  decidedly  not 
difference — regulating  the  choice  of  a  sire.  In  the  selection,  allow  one 
to  amend  the  faults  of  the  other ;  but  in  seeking  this,  avoid  absolute  con- 
trast, as  the  union  of  opposites  is  too  apt  to  produce  deformity. 

When  choosing  a  mare  for  breeding,  endeavor  to  discard  the  much 
which  has  been  printed  on  this  subject.  Let  compactness  of  form, 
strength,  and  an  aptitude  for  exertion  decide  the  choice.  The  legs 
should  be  stout  and  short, — declaring  bone  and  tendon  to  be  present. 
The  upper  portions  of  these  members  cannot  be  too  bulging,  thick,  long, 
or  muscular.  The  crest  should  be  highly  arched,  and  characterized  by 
substance ;  for  the  movements  of  the  body  are  much  controlled  by  the 
muscles  of  the  neck.  The  shoulder  cannot  be  too  fleshy,  so  it  shall 
slant  properly,  is  firm  to  the  touch,  and  is  situated  below  withers  suffi- 
ciently lofty.  For  hunting  or  for  ordinary  purposes,  high  withers  are 
imperative.  For  racing  they  are  no  recommendation,  as  lofty  action 
delays  speed  and  lessens  the  length  of  stride.     The  back  should  be 


BREEDING.  439 

short,  save  only  in  the  racer.  The  loins  ought  to  be  broad.  The  hips 
cannot  appear  too  ragged  or  be  too  wide  apart,  while  the  quarters  must 
seem  large  in  every  direction ;  nor  is  it  to  be  considered  a  fault,  should 
these  last  parts  stand  higher  than  and  appear  disproportioned  to  the 
other  regions.  Above  all,  see  that  the  channel  is  wide,  the  mouth  large, 
and  the  nostrils  ample. 

Do  not,  according  to  the  prevailing  notion,  search  after  a  long  or 
roomy  trunk.  Most  people  like  such  a  shape,  because  the  carcass 
which  they  seek  after  is  wanted  to  contain,  with  a  foal,  the  enormous 
quantity  of  grass  which  the  animal  is  forced  to  consume  before  life  can 
be  sustained.  The  mare  just  described  is  not  supposed  to  live  in  the 
field,  but  to  be  as  carefully  tended  and  as  liberally  nurtured  as  the  best 
horse  in  the  stable.  It  is,  during  gestation,  desirable  that  nourishment 
should  occupy  as  little  compass  as  possible ;  whil^  it  should  not  corrupt 
the  body's  natural  juices.  This  last  effect  is  consequent  on  the  con- 
sumption of  dry  fodder.  The  moisture  of  the  mother's  body  is  ab- 
stracted from  the  foetus,  to  soften  the  harsh  and  hard  food  which  op- 
presses the  stomach.  But  when  grass  is  eaten,  an  excess  of  water 
renders  that  which  should  support  the  growth  of  the  future  foal  weak 
and  devoid  of  nurture,  while  it  engenders  dropsy  in  the  dam,  and  also 
compresses  the  dawning  life  in  its  primary  home. 

When  the  period  arrives,  the  time  occupied  by  the  mare  in  "foaling" 
will  be  short.  The  cow  is  usually  slow  in  these  matters.  The  mare  is 
always  speedy,  and  far  less  patient  under  pain.  Therefore  when  the 
signs,  which  are  well  understood,  declare  the  time  to  be  rapidly  ap- 
proaching, send  immediately  for  the  nearest  veterinary  surgeon.  How- 
ever, previously  ascertain  that  he  is  apt  in  this  kind  of  business ;  and, 
above  all  things,  be  sure  he  is  a  feeling  man.  A  coarse  and  noisy  prac- 
titioner is  of  no  service  about  horses.  The  words  may  not  be  under- 
stood, but  the  manners  are  quickly  interpreted.  The  quadruped,  at  this 
period,  wants  support,  encouragement,  and  kindness.  A  harsh  com- 
mand or  a  threatening  gesture  may  so  alarm  timidity,  in  its  hour  of  ex- 
citement, as  shall  retard  the  event  they  are  intended  to  facilitate.  Se- 
verity, however,  does  not  always  lead  to  any  immediate  result ;  but  it 
may  so  flutter  the  mother  or  disturb  its  system  as  will  assuredly  be 
fruitful  in  after  disorder. 

Should  the  animal  be  properly  formed,  and  have  been  well  selected, 
but  little  aid  will  probably  be  required ;  yet  it  is  always  prudent  to  have 
assistance  at  hand,  as  the  mare  on  such  occasions  admits  of  no  delay. 
Do  not,  however,  allow  the  animal  to  give  birth  in  a  field  or  in  the  open 
air.  Such  may  be  the  prevailing  custom ;  but  custom  is  always  a  bad 
leader  for  a  prudenv  man  to  follow.     Numerous  children  are  born  under 


440 


BREEDING. 


hedges  or  in  gipsy  tents ;  but,  nevertheless,  such  places  are  not  to  be 
preferred  for  ladies;  and  the  horse,  now  under  consideration,  has  not 
been  reared  upon  a  common,  or  is  it  one  that  knows  only  comfort  during 
the  presence  of  sunshine.  Lead  the  quadruped  gently  into  a  thickly 
littered  loose  box,  having  trusses  of  straw  carefully  poised  against  the 
inner  walls  of  the  building. 


PREPAHINQ   THE  LTING-IN   CEIAMBER. 


The  proprietor,  however,  must  not  be  regulated  in  his  measures  b} 
any  rigid  attention  to  dates.  These  afford  nothing  like  an  absolute  rule 
worthy  of  being  implicitly  obeyed.  Neither  need  he  be  thrown  into  a 
fluster,  because  the  mare  heaves  at  the  flanks.  Such  a  symptom,  when 
unaccompanied  by  other  signs,  merely  denotes  a  passing  spasm,  which 
may  generally  be  removed  by  the  following  drink.  Should  the  pain  not 
yield,  the  doser  may  be  repeated  in  half  an  hour;  for,  at  this  critical 
period,  no  bodily  disturbance  can  be  without  importance.  These  attacks 
are  said  to  be  produced  by  drinking  largely  of  cold  water,  by  unexpected 
excitement,  etc. 

Drink  for  heaving  of  the  flanks. 

Sulphuric  ether One  ounce. 

Cold  water Three-quarters  of  a  pint. 

Mix.  Stir  till  the  ingredients  are  blended;  then  give  as  gently  as 
possible. 


BREEDING. 


441 


The  hour  of  labor  being  near  at  hand,  a  pair  of  light  hobbles  should 
be  attached  to  the  fetlocks  of  both  hind  legs.  This  should  be  done  by 
the  person  in  whom  the  animal  has  the  greatest  confidence,  as  the  near 
approach  of  a  stranger,  at  such  a  moment,  is  very  far  from  desirable. 
From  each  hobble  should  proceed  a  stout,  short  rope,  the  ends  of  which 
should  unite  with  a  longer  cord.  The  man  whom  the  quadruped  most 
likes  should  pass  the  longer  rope  through  the  forelegs,  and,  taking  his 
position  near  the  head,  he  should  hold  the  end,  not  so  tightly  as  to  in- 
convenience the  mare,  but  always  so  firmly  as  will  be  ready  for  any 
sudden  surprise.  Mares  are  apt  to  be  impatient  on  these  occasions; 
under  the  strong  tension  of  agony,  they  will  sometimes  "lash  out." 
Should  such  be  the  case,  the  man's  strength  may  not  be  powerful  enough 
to  check  the  action ;  but  when  aided  by  his  voice,  it  may  distract  the 
animal's  attention,  break  the  force  of  the  blow,  and  save  the  veterinary 
surgeon  from  any  very  serious  injury. 


PREPARATION   FOR   THE   EVENT. 


When  the  foal  is  bom,  let  it  be  received  in  the  arms  of  the  groom,  and 
with  care  laid  upon  the  straw.  This  done,  all  present  had  better  retire, 
for  the  mother  and  its  offspring  may  with  confidence  be  left  to  nature. 
There  should  be  no  peeping  through  crevices,  for  the  eye  of  maternity  is 
cunning  at  detection.  Neither  should  the  slightest  noise  be  permitted 
around  or  near  to  the  building,  as  the  nerves  are  always  morbidly  ex- 


442 


BREEDING. 


cited  dunng  this  particular  period.  Silence  is  a  good  medicine  to  quiet 
a  disturbed  system.  The  creature  will  do  well,  if  left  to  itself.  The 
cleansing  of  the  foal  may  be  confidently  trusted  to  the  parent's  affection. 
All  she  immediately  requires  is  a  pail  of  milk-warm  gruel ;  three  hours 
afterward,  she  may  accept  a  meal  of  prepared  food. 


uiujix 


"'ili||lnl»iliiii!Uill\l  iifr 


THB  NEWLT-BOBN  VOiL. 


Should  the  after-birth  not  be  immediately  ejected,  resort  to  no  purg- 
ing; neither  adopt  any  mechanical  contrivance  to  expedite  its  expulsion. 
These  old  methods  are  altogether  wrong.  The  retention  is  caused  by 
the  weakly  condition  of  the  mare,  which  allows  the  uterus  to  remain  re- 
laxed. The  fittest  physic,  in  such  a  case,  is  a  quart  of  strong  and  sound 
ale.  Give  three  doses  of  this  medicine,  each  administered  after  a  lapse 
of  three  hours.  Should  no  effect  have  resulted  subsequent  to  another 
pause  of  the  like  duration,  inject  into  the  part  a  full  stream  of  cold  water, 
permitting  the  fluid  to  return  unchecked.  Continue  to  do  this  till  a 
spasm  appears ;  then  leave  off,  for  your  object  is  accomplished :  the  pain 
announced  the  viscus  has  contracted. 

Dry  the  mare ;  give  another  pail  of  gruel ;  place  a  feed  of  softened 
food  in  the  manger,  and  leave  the  creature  to  luxuriate  in  that  rest 
which  will  now  be  enjoyed. 

Animals  soon  get  over  such  affairs.  The  foal  requires  nothing  beyond 
a  sheltered  abode  and  its  mother's  attention.     Should,  however,  the 


BREEDING. 


44a 


source  of  the  young  one's  nourishment  prove  unprolific  for  more  than 
twenty-four  hours,  a  little  skimmed  cows'  milk,  first  boiled  and  then 
slightly  sweetened,  being  afterward  diluted  with  its  amount  of  warm 
water,  may,  if  sufficiently  cool,  be  presented.  The  human  hand  is  in- 
serted into  the  fluid,  and  two  fingers  only  allowed  to  protrude  above  the 
surface ;  these  are  generally  seized  upon,  the  nourishment  being  easily 
imbibed  by  the  hungry  foal.  More  than  a  single  feed  is  seldom  needed ; 
even  that  had  better  be  withheld  until  evident  weakness  necessitates  its 
administration. 


FBBMNG  THE  NEWLT-BORN  FOAL. 


Do  not  bother  the  mare  or  be  tempted  to  thwart  the  course  of  nature 
at  such  a  time  with  the  impertinence  of  ball  or  drink.  All  physic  should 
be  withheld.  The  common  Parent  is  very  indulgent  at  such  seasons ; 
unless  opposed  by  mortal  ignorance,  his  kindness  generally  proves  the 
best  restorative.  However,  should  the  bowels  continue  decidedly  cos- 
tive, some  abdominal  irregularity  may  be  suspected,  and  then  a  bran 
mash,  into  which  some  softened  corn  should  be  thrown,  will  commonly 
afford  all  requisite  relief.  With  regard  to  the  newly  born,  it  is  better 
not  to  interfere.  So  the  parent  be  kept  in  health,  the  oflfspring  usually 
has  all  the  medicine  it  requires.  Liberal,  not  too  stimulating  diet,  a 
sheltered  abode,  a  dry  ground,  and  a  kind  proprietor  embrace  the  chief 
if  not  all  the  wants  of  an  animal  in  this  condition. 


444 


BREEDING. 


Tlie  mother,  after  her  title  is  confirmed,  should  always  receive  her 
food  out  of  some  vessel,  which  a  man  should  hold  during  the  time  it  is 
consumed.  Much  good  is  thus  effected  by  allaying  the  fear  natural  to 
maternity;  the  person  so  occupied  should  carefully  abstain  from  any  act 
which  might  alarm  the  anxiety  of  a  newly-made  parent.  The  same  in- 
dividual should  not  always  present  the  meal ;  but  different  people  should 
assume  this  office,  so  the  animal  may  be  thus  trained  to  regard  men  as 
friends,  and  taught  to  depend  upon  the  generosity  of  its  superiors.  By 
degrees,  the  foal  should  be  coaxed  to  accept  morsels  from  the  hand  of 
its  attendant;  advantage  should  then  be  taken  to  pat  and  to  fondle  the 
timid  youngster.     The  puq^ort  of  such  lessons  is  quickly  understood ; 


FEBDINa  THE  DAM,  AND  COAXING  THE  FOAL  TO  EAT. 


for  the  horse  appears  naturally  to  value,  far  higher  than  is  its  worth,  any 
act  of  condescension  from  the  appointed  master.  There  seems  to  exist 
a  yearning  toward  its  custodian,  and  it  is  surprising  to  witness  with 
what  persistency  the  human  race  repel  this  instinct.  The  sole  object  of 
man — who  should  by  right  of  moral  appreciation  and  of  intellectual  cul- 
ture subdue,  tame,  and  domesticate  the  creatures  of  this  earth- ^appar- 


BREEDING.  445 

ently  being  to  make  his  presence  dreaded  by  the  lives  which  long  to 
love  and  are  anxious  to  serve  him. 

It  is  usual  to  reintroduce  the  male  a  few  days,  generally  three,  subse 
quent  to  delivery.  But  such  a  custom  is  far  too  saving  to  be  profitable 
How  does  man  imagine  that  one  poor  body  is,  besides  extracting  sus- 
tenance from  grass,  to  yield  milk  to  the  living  and  to  sustain  the  growth 
of  the  future  offspring  at  the  same  time  ?  It  has  been  well  declared  that 
no  organ  is  equally  fitted  to  perform  two  oflQces ;  but  surely  either  of 
the  functions  alluded  to  is  a  sufficient  drag.  If  the  reader  has  any 
interested  motive  for  concluding  otherwise,  the  countenances  of  most 
women,  during  the  latter  stages  of  pregnancy,  and  the  shout  of  the 
pot-boy  at  the  human  mother's  door,  are  evidences  in  favor  of  the 
author's  correctness.  Moreover,  to  demonstrate  how  these  functions 
are  opposed,  a  fact  of  common  occurrence,  among  the  lower  order,  may 
be  mentioned.  When  failing  wages  render  an  increase  of  famify  un- 
desirable, it  is  usual  for  the  married  women  to  suckle  the  last  child  even 
for  years,  thereby  delaying  the  advent  of  the  next  intruder. 

To  afford  the  nutriment  which  shall  maintain  two  growing  lives  and 
to  support  itself,  is  obviously  too  great  a  tax  to  be  readily  sustained  by 
one  body.  The  drain  must  be  the  greater,  because  each  will  demand 
the  more  as  time  progresses ;  thus  the  unborn  has  a  portion  of  its  sus- 
tenance diverted,  while  the  milk,  on  which  the  living  foal  should  be 
matured,  is  impoverished  by  the  necessities  of  the  maternal  system. 

Therefore,  when  entering  upon  the  speculation  of  breeding  horses,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  though  a  foal  is  a  foal,  nevertheless  a  good 
and  a  bad  foal  are  very  different  beings,  when  tested  by  figures  in  an 
account  book.  One  good  foal,  every  two  years,  will  pay  far  better  than 
four  bad  foals  every  year ;  as  the  eight  indifferent  creatures  may  be  well 
sold  at  £20,  whereas  a  promising  produce  may  be  purchased  at  a  very 
reasonable  price  if  it  should  be  parted  with  for  no  more  than  £50. 

When  depicting  the  habits  of  most  breeders,  however,  it  must  be 
recollected  that  the  greater  number  of  mares  get  no  corn.  A  few  receive 
from  their  liberal  owners  a  little  of  the  damaged  produce  of  last  year's 
crop;  while  thorough-breds  generally  obtain  half  the  quantity  allowed 
to  most  working  animals,  and  to  each  the  grain  is  always  presented  dry. 
The  majority  of  mares  are  turned  out  to  grass,  with  the  foal  running  at 
their  sides,  and  the  enlarged  abdomens  showing  that  "one  off,  another 
will  come  on,"  which  seems  to  be  a  ruling  maxim  with  English  breeders. 
Green  herbage  has  a  tendency  to  induce  ascites ;  such  an  effect  declares 
the  food  to  be  deficient  in  nourishing  properties.  The  mare,  then,  while  • 
suffering  from  a  most  exhausting  malady,  excited  by  unwholesome  diet, 
is  expected  to  suckle  and  to  breed !     The  body  thus  engrossed  is,  more- 


446  BREEDING. 

over,  anticipated  to  yield  its  owner  a  profit.  To  uphold  such  a  foolish 
system,  there  are  large  establishments  scattered  over  the  country ;  while 
gentlemen  and  men  of  education  publicly  vent  their  lamentations,  because 
so  senseless  a  plan  does  not  prove  a  remunerative  amusement  I 


BREEDING,  SUCKUNO,  AN%  UVINQ  ON  GRABS. 


With  the  silly  method  of  breeding  should  also  be  discarded  another 
general  rule,  the  two  regulations  evidently  forming  part  of  one  system. 
Be  the  foal  healthy  or  weakly,  it  is  permitted  to  run  at  its  mother's  side 
only  for  an  arbitrary  period.  Should  the  young  one  be  well  developed, 
its  good  points  may,  nevertheless,  be  confirmed  by  a  reasonable  enjoy- 
ment of  the  maternal  attentions.  Often  the  too  early  weaning  will  prove 
a  serious  check  to  the  growth.  Could  man  only  control  his  impatience, 
the  settlement  of  such  matters  might  be  left  to  nature.  The  pair  should 
not  be  divided,  so  long  as  their  company  is  mutually  agreeable.  The 
animals,  however,  as  age  advances,  should  be  carefully  watched,  and  the 
two  separated  so  soon  as  the  mother  shows  she  has  received  nature's 
command  to  stop  the  supplies. 

It  is  a  common  occurrence  for  the  breeder  to  delay  "  operating  "  upon 
the  male  colt,  because  the  body  needs  further  development.  A  week  or 
two  of  early  comfort  will  (fo  more  for  the  future  points  than  will  months 
of  delay,  after  the  deficiency  is  all  but  confirmed,  or  when  time  has  given 
a  certain  direction  to  the  growth.     The  author  has  never  beheld  any 


BREEDING. 


447 


benefit  result  from  these  periods  of  exemption,  whicli  are,  however, 
usually  granted  as  a  kind  of  forlorn  hope.  There  is  another  prevalent 
custom,  which  is  equally  objectionable.  All  men,  in  this  country,  first 
use  the  animal  which  is  subsequently  to  propagate  its  race.  The  higher 
breed  is  broken,  trained,  and  run,  before  it  is  "thrown^''  into  the  stud. 
In  lower  life,  the  farmer,  after  having  hacked  and  hunted  a  creature  till 
existence  is  worthless  and  spirit  gone,  says,  over  his  jug  and  his  pipe, 
"  That  ould  mare  has  proved  a  downright  good  bit  of  stufi".  I  should 
like  to  have  a  foal  out  of  her  before  she  is  knocked  on  the  head."  So 
he  procures  the  service  of  some  led  horse,  and  turns  the  aged  animal  on 
to  the  common,  to  endure  the  inclemency  of  our  climate  without  protec- 
tion,— "to  rest  herself,"  he  asserts;  but  the  author  declares  such  food 
and  shelter,  to  be  almost  starvation.  This  conduct  would  seem  to  be 
the  climax  of  possible  folly!  Nevertheless,  the  farmer  acknowledges 
nothing  wrong  in  his  behavior;  for  he  is  as  bold  and  as  loud  in  his 
lamentations  as  other  people,  when  a  weakly  foal  results  from  his  want 
of  consideration — the  blame  always  being  cast  upon  the  sire. 


v^'.-^ 


THE  OCLD  MARS. 


The  foregoing  chapter  has  not  been  so  much  an  exposition  of  existing 
customs,  as  a  consideration  how  far  the  prevailing  habits  reasonably 
admit  of  amendment.  The  views  which  have  been  announced  may,  to 
many  minds,  appear  as  purely  theoretical,  and,  as  such,  to  be  deserving 


448  BREEDING. 

of  no  consideration.  But  before  the  reader  jumps  to  such  a  conclusion, 
he  is  entreated  to  reflect  that  the  period  of  gestation  in  the  mare  occu- 
pies nearly  the  space  of  an  entire  year.  Having  weighed  this  fact,  let 
him  learn  the  gestative  season  required  by  other  animals,  and  determine 
whether  there  is  any  living  creature  whose  capabilities  are  taxed  with 
an  equal  severity  to  those  of  the  equine  tribe.  At  the  same  time,  he 
should  appreciate  the  circumstance  that  the  oflTspring  of  the  horse  is 
esteemed  only  as  its  body  is  developed,  or  is  capable  of  labor;  whereas 
the  young  of  many  other  creatures  ai"e  kept  for  amusement,  or  valued 
only  as  articles  of  food.  Surely,  where  perfection  is  the  object,  a  greater 
patience  might  be  reasonably  displayed  in  the  mode  of  securing  its 
attainment  I 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

BREAKING   AND   TRAINING THEIR   ERRORS   AND    THEIR   RESULTS. 

HoAVEVER  much  the  English  nation  may  have  advanced  in  civilization, 
as  regards  the  horse,  its  habits,  its  subjugation,  and  its  training,  two 
centuries  would  appear  to  have  introduced  no  important  change  or 
material  improvement.  Some  minor  alterations,  undoubtedly,  have  been 
adopted ;  but  the  benefits  conferred  upon  the  animal  by  such  innovations 
are  more  than  questionable;  and  these  variations  seem  to  have  been 
regulated  far  more  by  obedience  to  the  progress  of  society,  than  to  have 
been  recommended  by  the  slightest  sympathy  for  the  quadruped. 

A  reference  to  the  copper-plate  engravings  which  ornament  the  old 
work,  in  two  volumes  folio,  by  William  Cavendish,  Duke  of  Newcastle, 
entitled  "A  General  System  of  Horsemanship,^^  will  demonstrate  the 
present  formal  mode  of  sitting  in  the  saddle,  which  is  now  regarded  as 
imperative  by  the  military  profession,  to  be  no  more  than  the  ancient 
fashion  of  riding  which  was  common  with  our  ancestry.  In. language, 
manners,  costume,  or  in  any  of  the  many  things  which  mark  &  people^ s 
advance,  fixedness  has  not  been  allowed  to  check  invention ;  but,  where 
improvement  was  most  needed,  not  only  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of 
the  slave,  but  to  confirm  the  progression  of  man,  by  rendering  impos- 
sible those  sights  which  degrade  and  which  debase  the  reasoning  faculty, 
it  has  apparently  been  absent.  The  creature,  during  these  years,  has 
altered  in  form,  and  has  become  milder  in  character.  The  spurs  and 
bits  of  former  times  are  no  longer  in  general  use,  because  these  are  no 
longer  required.  They  assuredly  were  not  'cast  aside  from  any  con- 
sideration for  the  life  to  coerce  which  they  were  employed,  although  a 
simple  regard  for  property  may  have  banished  such  ready  instruments 
of  torture  and  of  injury.  In  justification  of  the  foregoing  remarks,  the 
portrait  of  the  Marquis  (only  of  a  much  reduced  size)  is  inserted  on  the 
next  page. 

The  lunging  of  the  existing  horse-breaker  is  obviously  nothing  beyond 
that  circular  practice  which  constituted  the  chief  portion  of  equine  edu- 
cation with  our  forefathers.  It  is  in  the  book  just  named  depicted  over 
and  over  again,  until  tho  image,  from  repetition,  grows  tedious.     It 

29  (449) 


450 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


seems  vary  Jifficult  to  understand  the  useful  or  rational  purpose  which 
this  peculiar  lesson  is  now  intended  to  support.  Some  persons  assert 
it  is  of  much  service  in  taming,  as  it  assuredly  must  tire,  the  colt.  Others 
declare  it  teaches  the  animal  to  bear  properly  on  particular  limbs.  A 
third  party  assures  us  it  is  of  infinite  service,  because  it  instructs  the 
young  horse  in  leaning  toward  the  rein,  and,  by  not  permitting  the  eyes 
to  be  wholly  engaged  in  directing  the  feet,  it  obliges  the  quadruped  to 
employ  "high  action." 


COPIED   FROM   THE  "SYSTEM   OF   HOKSEMAKSOIP"   BY  THE   DDKE  OF   NEWCASTLE. 


The  use  of  the  limbs  is  governed  by  the  natural  formation  of  the  body; 
this  last  no  breaker  will  undertake  to  improve.  It  certainly  is  assum- 
ing too  much  for  any  art  to  pretend  it  can  alter  that  which  nature  has 
decreed.  A  well-formed  creature,  although  it  should  never  have  ex- 
perienced the  breaker's  instruction,  will,  of  necessity,  exhibit  grace  in 
its  movements.  The  action  of  a  badly-made  quadruped  may  be  tem- 
porarily disguised,  but  it  will  permanently  retain  only  the  mode  of  pro- 
gression it  is  fitted  to  exemplify.  By  forcing  a  faulty  horse  to  trot  in  a 
shallow  stream,  or  by  obliging  the  animal  to  move  briskly  with  sand 
bags  attached  round  the  fore  fetlocks,  a  badly-made  colt  often  will,  for  a 
space,  adopt  a  higher  action;  but  it  is  always  certain  that  this  step, 


BREAKING    AND     TRAINING. 


451 


which  has  been  acquh'ed  at  personal  inconvenience,  will  not  be  long 
maintained,  when  the  inducement  no  longer  operates. 

But,  to  take  a  practical  view  of  the  good  likely  to  result  from  lunging. 
Horses  sometimes  are  obliged  to  move  in  circles :  mill  horses  pass  theii 
lives  in  such  educational  employment.  The  only  effect  produced  by  this 
long  course  of  instruction  is  that  the  poor  victims  become  sightless. 
Traveling  round  and  round  soon  causes  giddiness,  or  induces  a  determ- 
ination of  blood  to  the  brain.  Young  animals  often  stagger  when  re- 
lieved from  their  monotonous  course  of  lunging  duties.  Old  quadrupeds, 
we  are  told,  grow  used  to  the  motion ;  but  such  familiarity  is  purchased 
with  the  deprivation  of  one  "precious  sense."  This  termination  is 
hastened  with  the  rapidity  of  the  movements.  Mill  horses  walk  their 
monotonous  rounds ;  but  the  breaker,  dreading  no  results,  makes  the  colt 
trot  when  describing  this,  his  favorite  figure. 


^i. 


Blood,  therefore,  rapidly  loads  and  oppresses  the  brain  of  the  young 
animal  thus  abused ;  and  this  consequence  is  the  quicker  as  the  pace  is 
more  excited,  because  the  circulation  is  not  only  faster,  but  it  is  also 
more  under  subjection  to  external  influences  in  the  young  than  in  the 
matured.  The  optic  nerves  originate  from  the  sensorium,  being  a  direct 
continuation  of  the  substance  of  the  brain  itself;  whenever  the  nervous 
ceJhter  is  congested,  sight  is  the  first  sense  that  suffers,  or  the  first  that 


452 


BREAKING    AND     TRAINING. 


tells  the  cordition  of  the  organ.  Frequent  repetition  of  this  result  upon 
the  delicate  structures  of  growing  life  appears  to  be  an  antiquated  cus- 
tom, which  modern  civilization  should  immediately  abolish.  It  is  not 
prudent  in  man  to  hazard  the  injury  of  his  most  valuable  possession, 
when  he  simply  intends  to  render  the  animal  better  suited  for  his  service. 
Gentlemen  no  longer  delight  to  disport  on  "the  grand  horse;"  neither 
is  it  esteemed  any  part  of  a  liberal  education  to  exhibit  an  ability  to  sit 
in  the  "high  saddle."  It  is,  then,  impossible  to  understand  the  motive 
which  reconciles  the  present  generation  to  an  injurious  form,  the  inten- 
tion of  which  was  exploded  many  years  ago.  No  direct  result  appears 
to  favor  of  habit.  The  people  who  profess  to  "break  in"  colts  may 
vaunt  their  capabilities;  but  the  author  cannot  remember  the  quad- 
rupeds which,  by  force  or  cunning,  however  unscrupulously  employed, 
had  been  in  any  degree  improved.  On  the  contrary,  he  has  seen  several, 
and  has  heard  of  more  animals,  which  are  reputed  to  have  been  injured 
by  having  been  improperly  "broken." 


dBOULAB  PRACTIOE.      AS  ILLUSTBATED   B?   A  FORMER  DUKE  OF   NEWCASTLE. 


The  horse  is  the  most  patient  servant  intrusted  to  mortality.     Man 
can  only  spoil,  when  he  essays  to  amend  the  perfection  of  Heaven's  gift. 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  458 

It  is  good  enough  in  its  natural  state.  It  was  sent  upon  earth  with  a 
disposition  which  adapted  it  for  that  position  it  was  destined  to  occupy. 
It  was  created  with  a  spirit  that  yearned  to  love,  that  was  happy  to 
serve,  and  that  was  proud  to  obey.  Must  it  not  be  the  fatuity  of  weak- 
ness which  tempts  mankind  to  waste  the  strength,  to  distort  the  limbs, 
and  to  hazard  the  sight  of  their  most  precious  possession,  by  a  senseless 
adherence  to  an  antiquated  form  ? 

Every  gentleman  was  intended  to  be  his  own  horse-breaker,  in  the 
same  manner  as  it  is  now  acknowledged  that  all  men  should  exercise 
authority  over  those  families  at  the  heads  of  which  they  are  placed. 
The  qualifications  for  such  an  office  many  gentlemen  may  be  inclined  to 
dispute ;  at  their  investment  with  such  a  novel  duty  many  individuals 
may  express  unqualified  surprise.  This,  however,  is  only  the  announce- 
ment of  man's  want  of  appreciation  for  the  blessings  which  surround 
him.  Could  humanity  exalt  its  vision,  it  would  perceive  in  its  increased 
duties  the  boundless  mercies  which  have  fitted  it  to  rule  on  earth  I 

The  horse  is,  essentially,  the  servant  of  man.  The  greatest  indul- 
gence cannot  elevate  the  quadruped  out  of  its  real  position.  The  foal  is 
born  to  its  fetters,  happy  in  the  bravery  of  perfect  inexperience.  Doubt- 
ing nothing,  but  too  timid  to  display  much  trustfulness.  Gracefully 
pliant  in  its  nature,  therefore  prepared  for  subjugation;  but  soon  won  to 
love,  thereby  fitted  for  domestication.  In  fact,  the  horse  is  the  slave  of 
its  reverence  and  its  affection.  The  breaker  injures  the  quadruped  by 
operating  only  upon  its  fears,  and  by  not  appealing  to  its  higher  or  its 
better  qualities.  The  horse,  when  not  guided  by  its  attachments,  is  a 
ferocious  savage.  It  is  not  prudent  in  man  to  treat  such  a  gifted  creat- 
ure as  though  it  were  a  piece  of  crude  metal,  which  will  bend  only  to  the 
employment  of  force ;  but  it  would  be  wiser,  did  he  receive  and  shelter 
the  youthful  spirit  prepared  by  its  Maker  to  appreciate  the  rule  dic- 
tated by  a  milder  impulse  than  one  of  brutal  severity. 

The  equine  race  are  rendered  capricious  or  obstinate  by  injudicious 
petting;  but  they  are  made  dangerous  and  ferocious  by  the  opposite 
kind  of  treatment.  The  animals  which  are  most  valuable,  or  those 
with  feelings  most  readily  kindled,  are  the  quadrupeds  which  the  breaker 
quickly  and  irremediably  spoils.  Thus  was  poor  Cruiser  rendered  dis- 
trustful, and  taught  to  regard  all  mankind  as  enemies.  The  breaking 
and  training  inflicted  upon  the  thorough-bred  made  an  impression  which 
no  time  could  obliterate.  The  animal  became  dangerous,  and  continued 
80  till  it  encountered  Mr.  Rarey.  His  gentleness,  blended  with  an  ability 
to  instruct,  conquered  and  subdued  the  rebellious  spirit.  In  its  surprise, 
the  creature  rose  from  its  bonds  to  worship  and  to  love  forever  the  being 
who  had  overpowered,  but  had  not  pained  the  "man  hater,"    To  him  it 


454  BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 

became  gentle  and  familiar  as  a  dog ;  l»ut  toward  other  representatives 
of  humanity  it  still  was  urged  by  that  dread  which  had  been  established 
in  its  colthood. 

The  quadruped,  being  thus  susceptible  to  impressions,  of  course  re- 
quires a  treatment  dictated  by  wisdom  and  originating  in  humanity.  No 
maudlin  familiarity  must  ever  be  indulged,  which  may  cause  the  slave  to 
forget  it  is  in  the  presence  of  its  master.  Love  delights  in  humility; 
but  the  feelings  are  traitorous  which  tempt  mortality  to  assume  such  a 
character  before  its  equine  dependent.  The  aptitude  for  being  spoilt 
pervades  all  animal  life.  It  is  only  more  strongly  marked  in  the  horse 
than  in  other  creatures.  The  dog,  when  too  much  indulged,  loses  its 
affection  in  its  sense  of  power:  it  will  often  snap  at  the  hand  which 
feeds  it.  The  horse  requires,  at  all  times,  a  conviction  of  authority  to 
restrain  its  strength.  If  permitted  to  indulge  its  own  will, — to  stop 
when  the  voice  says  "go  on," — it  changes  from  the  most  subservient  of 
slaves  into  the  most  capricious  of  masters.  Therefore  man,  in  his  inter- 
course with  the  equine  race,  should,  from  prudential  motives,  never  be 
cruel ;  but,  to  anticipate  the  necessity  for  punishment,  he  should  remem- 
ber that  nature  had  created  the  horse  to  serve  and  given  it  a  disposition 
to  obey. 

Kindness,  however,  is  essential.  When  training  a  racer,  excess  of 
fluid  is  assuredly  inimical  to  condition.  But  it  is  not  therefore  desirable 
to  place  the  animal  where  a  morbid  longing  is  certain  to  be  generated. 
That,  however,  is  now  always  done.  The  stable  is  heated  with  impurity: 
fever  is  the  consequence.  Food  is  given  dry :  the  raging  thirst  of  dis- 
ease is  thereby  aggravated.  Still,  the  trainer  laments  many  of  his  horses 
will  not  eat,  while  more  fail  during  his  efforts  to  promote  their  condition. 
Could  he  be  persuaded  to  amend  his  ways,  possibly  he  would  have  less 
occasion  to  sorrow  over  imaginary  misfortunes  I 

Place  the  horse  in  a  warm,  but  airy,  loose  box.  Give  the  water  min- 
gled with  the  food,  or  soak  the  fodder  before  presenting  it.  The  creature 
naturally  consumes  little  liquid  during  health.  But  if  the  body  be  dis- 
eased, morbid  appetites  are  excited.  Now,  condition  is  the  perfection 
of  possible  health,  and  the  author  only  complains  because  modern  train- 
ing is  not  calculated  to  attain  the  end  at  which  it  obviously  strives. 
Therefore,  much  is  ruined  and  little  perfected  under  the  prevailing  sys- 
tem. The  measures  are  wrong,  simply  because  they  are  cruel.  They 
are  calculated  to  provoke  resistance  rather  than  win  obedience  from  a 
simple  being.  Severity  never  shows  itself  so  abhorrent  as  when  ex- 
ercised over  the  meek  and  the  submissive. 

At  the  same  time  that  man's  power  may  be  perfect,  it  should  be  as  a 
law  of  existence :  it  should  be  exercised  from  the  hour  of  birth,  not  sud- 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


455 


denly  imposed  upon  an  unbroken  spirit  which  had  previously  been  per 
mitted  to  enjoy  the  wildest  freedom.  It  should  govern  from  the  earliest 
consciousness,  not,  as  now,  be  plumped  upon  a  young  life  which  ha? 
hitherto  been  permitted  to  roam,  knowing  no  restraint.  The  foal  should 
not  run  entirely  free  by  its  mother's  side :  the  colt  should  not  be  turned 
into  some  handy  paddock  to  feed  and  grow,  till  it  is  old  enough  "to  be 
wanted :"  the  life  should  not  exist  without  a  need  or  a  care,  until  a  cer- 
tain age  is  attained,  when  the  young  creature  is  to  be  suddenly  parted 
from  its  enjoyments,  and  the  happy  spirit  is  to  be  literally  "broken" 
unto  the  most  servile  obedience. 

Let  the  education  commence  with  the  birth.  Let  a  man  always  pre- 
sent the  vessel  from  which  the  mother  feeds.  The  mare  will  obey  the 
instinct  of  appetite ;  the  behavior  of  its  dam  will  instruct  the  impulses 
of  her  young.     At  the  expiration  of  a  week  or  two,  the  semblance  of  a 


CAST  BT   THE   HEAD-STALL. 


head-stall  may  be  put  on  the  foal ;  but  this  should  never  be  worn  when 
the  groom  is  absent,  as  animals  may  cast  themselves,  by  getting  the 
hind  hoof  entangled  when  endeavoring  to  scratch  the  ear.  That  part  of 
the  body  the  friction  of  the  straps  generally  causes  to  itch ;  the  conse- 
quence being  almost  certain,  the  result  is  likewise  fatal.  Several  valua- 
ble horses  have  been  sacrificed,  through  grooms  turning  the  creatures 
into  the  field  without  removing  the  halters.  These  last  were  left  on,  be- 
cause the  quadrupeds,  when  thus  caparisoned,  were  more  easily  caught 
by  an  idle  domestic.  This  subject  has,  in  a  previous  part  of  the  work, 
been  illustrated ;  but  to  prevent  the  inconvenience  of  a  reference  to  a 
former  page,  the  engraving  was  reproduced. 


46fi 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


4.fter  a  space,  a  cord  may  be  attached,  and  the  young  may  be  held 
while  its  parent  feeds.  Then  something  like  a  surcingle  may  be  fixed 
round  the  body;  such  things  should  be  made  of  strips  of  cloth  or  of 
calico,  the  intention  merely  being  to  indicate  those  articles  which  must 
be  assumed  hereafter.  Subsequently  a  juicy  piece  of  any  root  the  creat- 
ure may  delight  in — of  marsh -mallow,  of  aniseseed,  or  of  liquorice — 
should  be  inserted  between  the  lips  as  a  mimic  bit,  from  which  should 
depend  two  short  reins.  If  these  things  are  properly  made  and  carefully 
introduced,  every  addition  will  be  accepted  with  pleasure  as  a  new  orna- 
ment. No  sense  of  restraint  will  interfere  with  an  innocent  amusement; 
but  the  little  animal,  conscious  of  no  pain,  will  soon  exhibit  gratification 
when  arrayed  in  the  representatives  of  future  fetters. 


IHE  FIRST    HARNESS   PUT   ON   A   FOAL. 


At  the  same  time  the  hand  should  be  frequently  passed  over  the  body, 
and  occasionally  carried  down  the  limbs,  although  nothing  approaching 
a  regular  grooming  can,  as  yet,  be  necessary.  The  fluff  of  the  mane,  the 
tail,  the  forelock,  and  the  fetlock  should,  subsequently,  be  combed  out 
very  gently,  the  attendant  taking  care  to  praise  the  foal  during  the  pro- 
cess, and  feigning  to  feel  ecstatic  admiration  after  the  performance  of 
each  operation.  All  animal  life  —  even  does  the  truth  extend  to  the 
birds — is  peculiarly  susceptible  to  human  flattery;  for  the  German  peas- 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  *53 

ant  teaches  the  bullfinch  to  pipe,  by  dancing  before  its  cage,  playing  to 
the  captive,  and  only  pausing  after  each  tune  to  indulge  in  the  pretense 
of  a  most  extravagant  delight. 

The  youngster  should  then  be  led  about  a  meadow  by  its  tiny  reins : 
when  perfect  in  this  lesson,  it  may  be  fastened  to  its  mother's  head  while 
the  mare  goes  to  or  from  its  labor.  But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  a 
harsh  word,  hastily  spoken,  may  efface  more  knowledge  than  a  month 
of  tender  tuition  can  communicate.  Gentleness  and  equanimity  are  of 
all  value,  when  the  confidence  of  young  existence  has  to  be  won ;  for 
such  a  capacity,  patience  becomes  something  more  than  an  ordinary 
virtue.  Some  shyness  or  show  of  resistance  must  be  expected  when  the 
little  foal  finds  itself  first  fastened  to  its  mother's  side,  near  the  shafts  of 
a  light  cart ;  but  this  will  speedily  disappear.  The  tiny  feet  should,  at 
length,  be  raised,  and  afterward  the  horn  be  gently  tapped  or  rapped 
against.  These  things  should  be  repeated,  till  they  are  submitted  to 
without  any  evidence  of  fear  having  been  excited  by  the  liberties.  Such 
preparatory  lessons  ought  to  be  given  before  the  strength  is  sufficiently 
matured  to  be  dangerous. 


HANDLINO   THE   FEET. 


When  the  weaning  has,  by  the  process  of  nature,  been  accomplished, 
the  colt  should  not  be  turned  out  and  neglected  until  a  determined  time 
for  "  breaking  in  "  comes  round.     It  should  still  be  sheltered  and  nour- 


458 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


ished  ut  the  home,  the  previous  lessons  being  enforced  with  greater  em- 
phasis as  the  age  progresses,  and  the  animal  being  taken  occasionally  to 
the  forge,  there  to  stand  among  other  horses,  but  not  to  be  shod.  From 
its  earliest  day,  man  should  appear  as  the  necessary  companion  to  every 
movement.  It  will  soon  learn  to  follow  like  a  dog;  thus  it  may  enjoy  a 
partial  degree  of  freedom.  But  no  weakness  should  betray  its  custodian 
into  any  resemblance  even  of  over-indulgence,  although  the  little  creature 
will  regard  its  tutor  with  affection,  so  he  does  not  by  his  severity  repel 
its  advances. 

When,  however,  the  animal  is  no  longer  permitted  to  run  by  its 
parent's  side,  the  education  ought  to  assume  the  character  of  earnest. 


RECEIVINQ    THE   FIRST   LESSON. 


A  small  snaffle  should  be  attached  to  a  regular  bridle;  when  the 
youngster  is  led  out  to  exercise,  this  harness  should  be  put  on.  The 
surcingle  should  be  exchanged  for  something  resembling  a  saddle ;  ulti- 
mately, a  dumb  jockey  ought  to  be  mounted  on  the  back.  Upon  the 
extended  points  of  the  last  machine,  an  old  hat  and  a  cloth  may  be 
affixed.  These  objects  will  at  first  excite  terror ;  but  fear  not  being  jus- 
tified and  the  colt  not  being  hurt  by  the  dreaded  presence,  confidence 
will  return.  A  sack,  stuffed  with  straw,  and  moulded  somewhat  into 
the  shape  of  a  man,  should  then  be  placed  over  the  dumb  jockey.  Little 
stirrups  and  a  pair  of  representative  legs  should  hang  on  either  side, 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  459 

while,  to  complete  the  whole,  reins  may  be  fastened  to  the  bit;  a  por- 
tion of  these  last  being  formed  of  India-rubber,  for  not  a  few  mouths  are 
permanently  destroyed  by  the  unyielding  tug  of  the  heavy-fisted  breaker. 

All  these  liberties  being  permitted,  if  the  instruction  has  been  prop- 
erly communicated,  the  pupil  will  have  been  rather  pleasurably  excited 
than  permanently  alarmed  by  the  varied  progress  of  its  tuition.  Such 
lessons,  however,  should  be  daily  given,  until  the  colt  has  attained  its 
second  year.  It  should  then  be  regularly  groomed;  but  nothing 
weightier  than  a  dumb  jockey  being  placed  upon  its  back  before  the 
third  year  has  been  completed. 

This  age  being  attainded,  a  very  dimirfutive  lad  may  be  put  into  the 
colt's  saddle ;  but  as  boys  are  too  apt  to  spoil  the  mouth  by  hanging 
back  and  holding  on  by  the  reins,  the  India-rubber  had  better  be  con- 
tinued, and  the  jockey  insti'ucted  not  to  interfere  with  the  bridle,  save 
when  his  so  doing  is  necessary  to  guide  the  animal.  Then  the  teaching 
of  different  paces  may  begin,  the  quadruped  being  always  instructed  in 
company  with  a  perfectly  trained  old  horse.  All  feeble  intellects  are  apt 
at  imitation,  and  a  colt  shall  readily  learn  from  example  what  coercion 
will  fail  to  impart. 

By  the  fourth  year,  the  animal  may  be  placed  between  the  shafts  of  a 
very  light  gig,  should  its  form  indicate  the  creature  not  to  be  adapted  for 
the  saddle  ;  at  first  it  must  be  walked  about  a  meadow.  When  the 
sound  of  the  wheels  is  not  listened  for  with  evidence  of  fear,  the  pace 
may  be  quickened.  Subsequently  a  boy  may  get  into  the  vehicle,  while 
the  man  remains  at  the  colt's  head.  Succeeding  this,  the  course  should 
be  directed  by  the  driver ;  ultimately,  after  a  man  has  for  some  weeks 
assumed  the  office  of  director,  the  vehicle  may  be  taken  upon  the  road. 

Most  harness  horses  are  very  imperfectly  broken.  The  education  is 
too  hurried,  and  seems  to  be  considered  as  perfected  whenever  the  ani- 
mal will  merely  take  to  the^collar.  The  consequence  is,  there  are  more 
bad  harness  horses  to  be  met  with  in  London  than  creatures  of  any 
other  description.  Some  have  all  spirit  lashed  or  jaded  out  of  them ; 
these  have  become  "slugs,"  or  the  poor  wretches  are  almost  dead  to 
command  and  insensible  to  the  goad.  Others  are  rendered  incurable 
kickers  by  the  treatment  to  which  they  have  been  subjected.  A  third 
class  are  ruined  by  the  unscrupulous  use  of  the  reins ;  and  some  of  these 
will  take  long  journeys,  all  the  time  holding  the  bit  between  the  teeth. 
A  fourth  set  are  rendered  cripples  by  the  unfeeling  employment  of  the 
bearing-rein,  which  disables  the  organs  of  respiration,  and  renders  the 
lightest  draught  a  terrible  burden,  by  throwing  the  work  upon  the  mus- 
cles of  the  limbs,  while  it  compels  these  agents  to  contract  at  a  fearful 
disadvantage. 


4B0  BREAKING    AND     TRAINING. 

Those  who  delight  in  a  lofty  crest  may  accomplish  more  by  attention 
to  the  health  and  diet  than  by  the  absence  of  humanity.  The  strongest 
bearing-rein  and  the  sharpest  bit  cannot  exalt  the  head  of  a  spiritless 
horse.  Clover,  tares,  beans  and  peas,  by  promoting  the  strength  and 
lending  tone  to  the  muscular  system,  will  do  more  to  raise  the  neck  and 
promote  gayety  of  spirit  than  the  harness-maker  can  accomplish.  Bear- 
ing-reins are  disgraceful  cruelties,  and  do  no  more  than  expose  the  moral 
condition  or  the  pecuniary  meanness  of  those  parties  who  employ  them, 

In  corroboration  of  the  importance  of  the  neck  as  an  aid  to  motion, 
the  reader  must  pardon  the  author  if  he  refers  to  a  well-marked  circum- 
stance which  has  hitherto  escaped  observation.  A  horse  with  a  thin  or 
narrow  neck,  measuring  from  the  crest  to  the  wind-pipe,  should  always 
be  avoided.  It  denotes  bodily  weakness,  and  testifies  to  an  absence  of 
spirit.  The  cervical  region  always  first  exhibits  the  token  of  approach- 
ing emaciation.  If  the  reader  will  hereafter  test  the  remark  by  observa- 
tion, he  will  find  all  poor,  exhausted  animals,  which  carry  the  head  as 
though  its  weight  was  oppressive,  invariably  have  the  neck  much  im- 
poverished and  altogether  attenuated. 

In  short,  a  mere  catalogue  of  the  evils  engendered  by  the  injudicious 
breaking  of  draught  horses,  would  occupy  more  space  than  the  author 
has  at  his  command.  For  this  reason,  the  driver  of  a  young  animal 
should  never  be  intrusted  with  reins  made  entirely  of  leather;  a  part  of 
the  length  should  be  composed  of  India-rubber.  Neither  should  he  be 
permitted  to  flourish  a  whip.  All  severity  is  but  an  indulgence  of  the 
controller's  temper ;  it  is  unnecessary  with  a  life  which  is  eager  to  learn 
an(^  is  anxious  to  obey.  The  sound  of  the  voice  or  the  gentlest  indica- 
tion should  be  sufiBcient  to  excite  the  ability  of  such  a  pupil.  No  one 
can  doubt  this,  who  has  beheld  its  activity  of  ear  whenever  the  horse  is 
addressed. 

After  the  foregoing  fashion  the  educatioK  may  be  perfected,  without 
allowing  any  professing  brute,  under  the  name  of  a  "horse-breaker,"  to 
spoil  the  temper  and  to  lay  the  seeds  of  future  disease,  by  ill  treatment 
of  a  few  weeks'  duration.  Some  years  ago  the  author  remembers  meet- 
ing a  man,  who  must  have  weighed  more  than  fourteen  stone,  seated  on 
a  side  saddle,  and  having  a  horse  rug  dangling  about  his  heels.  He  was 
supposed  to  be  "breaking  in"  a  colt,  rising  three,  for  a  lady  equestrian. 
His  employer  must  have  been  excessively  developed,  or  her  representa- 
tive could  only  spoil  the  creature  which  was,  ostensibly,  preparing  to 
receive  a  lighter  burden  and  a  more  delicate  hand.  An  accident  was 
thus  almost  rendered  certain,  whenever  the  oppressed  quadruped  should 
be  relinquished  to  its  future  mistress. 

The  matters  which  have  been  already  pointed  out  being  attended  to, 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


461 


and  the  force  having  been  increased  with  the  growing  strength  of  the  colt, 
the  creature,  after  its  fifth  year,  (if  intended  for  the  higher  purposes 
of  the  saddle,)  should  be  taught  to  leap.  To  place  a  rider  on  an  animal's 
back  and  then  to  expect  a  bar  to  be  cleared,  is  very  like  loading  a  younj>; 
lady  with  a  sack  of  flour  as  preparatory  to  a  dancing  lesson  being  re- 
ceived. This  folly  is,  however,  universally  practiced ;  so  is  that  of 
teaching  the  paces,  when  the  quadruped's  attention  is  probably  engrossed 
by  the  burden  which  the  spine  has  to  sustain. 


RISING   TO   THE   LEAP. 


Leaping  is  best  taught  by  turning  the  horse  into  a  small  paddock 
having  a  low  hedge  or  hurdle  fence  across  its  center.  A  rider  should, 
in  sight  of  the  animal,  take  an  old  horse  over  this  several  times.  The 
groom,  who  brings  the  corn  at  the  meal  hour,  then  goes  to  that  side 
where  the  animal  is  not,  and  calls,  shaking  up  the  provender  all  the  time 
his  voice  sounds.  The  boundary  will  soon  be  cleared.  When  half  the 
quantity  is  eaten,  the  man  should  proceed  to  the  opposite  compartment 
and  call  again.  If  this  is  done  every  time  the  young  horse  is  fed,  the 
fence  may  be  gradually  heightened ;  after  six  months  of  such  tuition,  a 
light  rider  may  be  safely  placed  upon  the  back. 

Instruction,  thus  imparted,  neither  strains  the  structures  nor  tries  the 
temper.  The  habit  is  acquired  without  those  risks  which  necessarily 
attend  a  novel  performance,  while  a  burden  oppresses  the  strength,  and 


462 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


whip  of  spur  distracts  the  attention.  The  body  is  not  disabled  by  the 
imposition  of  a  heavy  load  before  its  powers  are  taxed  to  the  uttermost. 
The  quadruped  has  all  its  capabilities  unfettered,  and,  in  such  a  state, 
leaping  speedily  becomes  as  easy  of  performance  as  any  other  motion 


CLEAUING   THE  FENCE. 


Irish  horses,  all  being  excellent  jumpers,  are  much  esteemed  in  Eng- 
land. In  Ireland,  however,  the  fields  are  of  small  dimensions,  and  gates 
leading  to  them  are  uncommon.  It  is  not  unusual  for  a  quadruped  to  be 
obliged  to  clear  numerous  walls  before  a  certain  pasture  can  be  gained. 
Thus,  to  leap  is  rendered  a  prominent  necessity  of  equine  existence,  for 
the  steed  must  either  jump  or  starve.  By  such  a  condition  of  their  resi- 
dence is  the  Irish  breed  made  conspicuous  for  that  activity  which  espe- 
cially excites  the  admiration  of  Englishmen.  Hunting,  moreover,  is  a 
favorite  pastime  with  the  natives  of  the  sister  isle ;  therefore,  while  most 
Irish  horses  become  admirable  English  hunters,  the  best  of  the  English 
breed  would  be  sadly  thrown  out  by  a  short  run  in  the  adjacent  king- 
dom. There  can  be,  however,  no  reason  why  an  English  colt,  if  prop- 
erly trained,  should  not  become  as  fine  a  performer  as  the  most  expert 
or  celebrated  of  those  animals  which  are  generally  supposed  to  be  born 
"fencers." 

The  seventh  year  should  witness  the  horse  taken  into  the  active  service 
of  its  master.     Too  early  work,  certainly,  cripples  the  majority  of  ani- 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  463 

tnals;  but  there  is  not  a  circumstance  of  the  many,  rebuked  in  these 
pages,  which  does  not  aid  powerfully  in  producing  that  miserable  effect. 
All  the  customs  about  the  equine  race  seem  to  be  antiquated  and  injuri- 
ous. An  animal  is  taken  up,  is  cast,  is  operated  upon,  is  shod,  is  broken, 
and  is  sold  often  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks.  What  a  change  has  to 
be  submitted  to  1  Every  incident  of  life  is  altered — the  creature  is  sud- 
denly called  upon  to  endure  a  new  existence.  Is  it  a  matter  for  surprise 
that  nature  occasionally  rebels  against  so  wholesale  an  innovation?  Is 
it  not  a  proof  of  the  sweetness  of  the  disposition  which  graces  the  equine 
race,  that  the  majority  can  yield  themselves  up  to  the  barbarity  of  such 
a  terrible  mutation  ? 

The  author  does  not  imagine  that  any  person  will  immediately  delay 
the  breaking  of  his  horse  up  to  the  period  which  has  been  suggested. 
To  take  a  colt  only  every  second  year,  and  always  allow  seven  years  to 
pass  before  the  animal  is  brought  to  market,  would,  assuredly,  double 
the  present  cost ;  or,  in  other  words,  it  would  displace  those  animal  weeds 
which  now  cheapen  the  price  of  horse  flesh.  No  proposal  generally  suc- 
ceeds in  the  modern  age,  in  which  expense  is  decidedly  ignored.  The 
reader  is,  therefore,  not  expected  to  alter  his  plans  because  the  present 
volume  has  been  published.  Something,  however,  will  have  been  gained 
if  the  book  causes  him  to  question  his  existing  behavior,  even  though  he 
should  not  modify  his  proceedings.  A  writer,  however,  is  bound  to  state 
that  which  in  his  conviction  is  the  truth,  and  to  pay  no  regard  to  motives 
of  mere  expediency.  Then,  putting  probability  and  expense,  convenieUce 
and  existing  arrangements  out  of  the  question,  let  the  reader  deliberately 
say,  whether  very  much  of  what  he  has  read  was  not  right  in  theory. 

Then,  as  regards  money  expense,  this  might  not  be  increased ;  for  if 
the  animal  would  cost  twice  as  much,  it  would  endure  under  a  better 
system  four  times  as  long.  The  outlay,  consequently,  reckoned  against 
the  years  of  service,  would  be  smaller;  nevertheless,  many  a  decade 
must  elapse  before  that  which  the  book  declares  is  practically  carried 
out.  Still,  if  a  few  only  are  convinced,  and  none  adopt  the  plans  pro- 
posed, good  will  ultimately  result ;  for  the  right  must  be  known  before 
it  can  be  practiced,  and  man  generally,  in  the  end,  does  that  which  hia 
better  sense  has  acknowledged  to  be  just.  The  impulse  which  urges 
him  to  such  a  course  may  be  resisted ;  but  it  will,  as  a  necessity  of  his 
existence,  at  length  operate;  for  by  such  an  irresistible  power  are 
thrones  upturned,  are  institutions  amended,  and  all  human  progress  is 
ultimately  controlled. 

The  animal  being  educated  according  to  the  foregoing  description, — 
not  being  forced  to  strain  its  thews  and  to  distort  its  limbs  before  the 
frame  has  fairly  been  perfected,  but  being  gradually  brought  to  the 


464 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


mark  of  its  requirements,  and  also  permitted  time  to  comprehend,  before 
it  is  lashed  to  perform — being  allowed  the  benefits  of  practice  prior  to 
being  expected  to  exhibit  its  accomplishments  —  being  simply  treated 
after  a  manner  that  every  grade  of  reason  must  recognize  as  just, — would 
come  forth  in  the  full  possession  of  all  its  natural  powers,  and  would 
distance  the  swarm  of  equine  babies  which  now  disgrace  the  thorough- 
fares, encumber  the  field,  and  ruin  the  race-course.  It  would  be  fitted 
to  carry  a  man  in  any  manly  sport ;  and  it  would  be  able,  not  being 
distraught  by  bodily  pains,  to  sympathize  in  the  pleasures  of  its  rider, 
and  to  share  the  amusement  in  which  he  delighted. 

One  peculiarity,  illustrative  of  the  present  mode  of  preparing  quad- 
rupeds for  exertion,  is  to  be  witnessed  in  most  hunting  fields.  The 
young  gentleman  who  pays  hundreds,  perhaps,  for  his  "mount,"  and 
whose  horse  has  been  long  under  the  trainer's  care,  is  usually  "no- 
where'''' at  the  death,  although  he  is  at  liberty  to  choose  his  way  and  to 
regulate  liis  pace  according  to  his  pleasure ;  whereas  the  huntsman, 
seated  on  a  screw  which  has  been  hacked  throughout  the  summer,  is 
generally  foremost  in  the  chase. 


THE  OLD   HUNTER  AND  THE  TOUNO   STEED. 


This  seeming  inconsistency  evidently  favors  those  notions  which  the 
author  has  presumed  to  promulgate.     The  wealthy  scion  of  aristocracy 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  465 

usually  sits  upon  the  young  beauty,  while  the  huntsman  generally  be- 
strides the  aged  animal.  The  older  steed  may  be  of  little  worth,  and  its 
blemishes  may  be  numerous;  but  it  has  not  been  exhausted  under  a 
pretense  of  fitting  it  to  endure;  it  has  been  hacked  or  ridden  through 
the  months  when  the  younger  quadruped  was  imprisoned  in  absolute 
idleness.  The  cheaper  horse  has  been  in  constant  requisition  to  exercise 
the  dogs,  etc.,  and  therefore  its  health  has  been  better  preserved  than  is* 
that  of  the  gentleman's  steed,  which  is  either  new  to  the  sport,  or  has 
recently  been  taken  from  the  supposed  enjoyment  of  a  summer^s  rest. 

Training  of  hunters  and  of  racers,  as  at  present  conducted,  is  neither  a 
strengthening  nor  a  refreshing  process.  The  animal  that  has  recently 
been  relinquished  by  the  trainer,  instead  of  being  able  to  endure  extra 
exertion,  is  generally  debilitated  by  those  measures  which  were  designed 
to  produce  a  contrary  effect.  In  the  first  place,  three  doses  of  physid, 
which  are  given  under  a  belief  of  their  tonic  efficacy,  are  quite  sufficient 
to  disable  any  creature,  that,  like  the  horse,  is  possessed  of  a  very  large 
and  a  very  long  digestive  track,  or  which  nature,  as  a  protection,  had 
rendered  almost  safe  from  the  purgative  operation  of  medicinal  agents. 
Before  the  bowels  of  the  horse  can  be  loosened,  the  primary  effects  of 
poisoning  must  be  established.  Aloes  is  the  favorite  purgative  of  the 
stable ;  but  so  nearly  related  are  the  quantity  which  relaxes  and  the 
amount  which  kills,  that  probably  aloes  has  poisoned  more  horses  than 
all  other  drugs  in  the  pharmacopoeia. 

The  reader,  to  whom  such  a  subject  is  a  novelty,  may  inquire  what 
the  intestines  have  to  do  with  the  muscular  action.  Supposing  such  a 
question  possible,  the  author  replies,  that  although  the  animal  body  is 
made  up  of  numerous  parts,  and  composed  of  various  organs,  neverthe- 
less the  whole  is  so  united  that  no  part  or  structure  can  be  diseased,  but 
the  whole  is  affected.  The  intestinal  track  is  lined  with  mucous  mem- 
brane. When  this  surface  is  involved,  prostration  or  debility  ensues. 
Cold  and  sore  throat  are  ready  instances  of  this  result;  for  both  are  con- 
sequent upon  small  portions  of  inflamed  mucous  membrane.  Imagine, 
then,  the  utter  prostration  which  must  ensue  upon  the  morbid  excite- 
ment ef  so  large  a  mucous  surface  as  that  which  covers  the  digestive 
canal  of  a  horse.  Yet  the  trainer  thrice  induces  this  consequence,  under 
an  ignorant  conviction  that  by  so  doing  he  confers  upon  the  sufferer 
extraordinary  nervous  energy ! 

Purging  is,  however,  only  slightly  more  weakening  than  sweating. 
Perspiration  acts  differently  on  different  specimens  of  the  same  species. 
One  person  is  nearly  always  bathed  in  moisture ;  another  invariably 
presents  a  dry  skin.  This  shall  hardly  be  moved  without  the  surface  of 
his  body  being  loaded  with  copious  drops  of  fluid  exudation ;  that  will 

30 


466  BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 

endure  the  utmost  exertion,  grow  heated  at  any  employment,  but  will 
not  sensibly  lose  a  particle  by  transmission.  The  trainer,  nevertheless, 
treats  all  animals  alike.  He  gallops  every  quadruped  submitted  to  his 
care,  as  though  the  consequence  was  invariably  beneficial.  In  vain  does 
one  horse  break  down,  another  refuse  its  corn,  and  a  third  exhibit  swollen 
legs  or  crippled  feet,  while  a  fourth  shall  be  only  rendered  more  lively 
by  the  process  which  disabled  its  fellows.  To  sweat  is  a  part  of  the 
trainer's  system,  and  all  the  creatures  which  he  is  to  train  must  therefore 
be  violently  sweated. 

With  racers,  to  these  modes  of  debilitating  is  united  a  third, — exces- 
sive labor.  The  horse  is  tried  at  its  topmost  speed.  These  trials  are 
frequent ;  although  it  is  a  common  saying  that  a  horse  may  be  trained 
until  it  cannot  move,  still  the  practice  is  continued.  The  pace  is  quite 
as  severe  as  it  is  in  a  public  race ;  the  weight  is  usually  pretty  much  the 
same.  It  is  well  known  that  these  trials  are  often  run  in  less  time  than 
the  contest  for  which  they  are  thought  to  be  only  a  preparation.  Not 
withstanding  the  repeated  disappointment  and  the  frequent  injury  in- 
duced, such  prejudicial  experiments  are  continued,  though  not  in  every 
sphere  of  training.  Men  train  as  prize  fighters,  but  they  do  not,  before 
entering  the  ring,  engage  in  numerous  pitched  battles.  There  is,  as- 
suredly, something  wrong  when  the  same  law  is  stringent  in  one  case 
but  is  inoperative  in  another,  although  both  instances  are  supposed  to 
be  governed  by  the  similar  regulations. 

The  trainer  of  late  years  has  somewhat  changed  his  customs.  For- 
merly, animals,  while  in  training,  were  taken  out  of  the  stable  twice  each 
day.  Now  they  are  allowed  only  to  smell  the  air  once  in  twenty-four 
hours ;  but  the  period  of  labor  is  lengthened*.  The  pace  and  the  extent 
of  time  over  which  it  ranges  are  important  considerations  when  young 
life  has  to  be  dealt  with.  No  less  deserving  some  reflection  is  the  bur- 
den to  be  carried  during  such  exertion.  Last  of  all,  and  probably  as 
important  as  any,  is  the  particular  hour  during  which  the  natural  habits 
of  the  colt  fit  it  to  sustain  extraordinary  fatigue. 

The  trainer's  horses,  ranged  in  Indian  file,  are  now  abroad  from  eleven : 
sometimes  they  return  by  twelve ;  at  other  occasions  it  is  half-past  twelve 
before  the  bridles  are  slackened ;  but  generally  one  o'clock  has  struck  be- 
fore the  saddles  are  removed.  ^  From  eleven  to  one  is  the  precise  period 
when  the  sun  attains  its  greatest  altitude.  At  this  time,  those  insect  pests 
which  torment  the  equine  race  are  busy  and  abroad.  It  is  true,  the  eye 
(Of  the  animal  fits  it  to  encounter  the  glare  of  the  desert,  but  instinct  dis- 
poses the  quadruped  to  roam  only  when  the  atmosphere  is  cool,  when 
all  its  annoyances  have  retired,  and  when  moisture  hangs  upon  the  earth. 
The  eye  can  better  sustain  the  effects  of  light  in  its  excess  tba,n  the  feet — 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  467 

than  the  horn  of  the  hoof  can  endure  the  results  of  dryness  or  the 
hardness  of  a  baked  English  clay. 

Yet  the  training  horse  is  housed  in  stables  the  temperature  of  which 
is  oppressive,  the  foulness  of  which  must  be  most  injurious  to  the  pris- 
oner. It  is  there  shut  in  stench  and  in  darkness  to  recruit  its  strength, 
and  to  gain  fresh  energy  to  endure  further  reduction.  Exercised,  when 
nature  would  dispose  the  animal  to  rest;  forced  to  submit  to  a  fainting 
warmth,  when  instinct  would  induce  the  creature  to  seek  the  coolest 
shade;  ridden,  till  it  almost  fails;  physicked,  till  it  reels;  and  sweated, 
till  the  process  makes  it  fear  the  opening  of  its  stable  door, — how  is  the 
trained  quadruped  nurtured  ?  How  is  it  supported,  to  fortify  the  body 
for  bearing  up  against  such  numerous  trials  ? 

It  is  compelled  to  consume  hard  corn  and  fibrous  hay.  Water  is 
stinted.  The  measures  just  described  must  generate  a  raging  thirst; 
but  the  trainer,  according  to  his  system,  refuses  drink.  The  contents  of 
the  manger  must  aggravate  the  dryness  of  the  throat ;  but  the  trainer 
begrudgingly  permits  the  animal  to  imbibe  the  contents  of  the  pail. 
The  mode  of  feeding  is  productive  of  other  evils.  Purging  and  sweating 
are  excused,  as  necessary  to  remove  accumulations  of  fat.  Com  and 
hay  are  those  very  substances  which  induce  the  accumulation  of  fatl 
Then,  according  to  the  present  trainer's  pretended  system,  one  thing 
does  that  which  another  undoes.  Whether  nature  is  invigorated  by 
such  a  process,  the  reader  must  decide.  But,  in  the  author's  opinion, 
the  existing  method  is  a  prejudice,  which  reason  condemns,  and  which 
man  is  not  justified  in  compelling  any  creature  to  undergo. 

All  the  foregoing  customs  are,  in  the  author's  judgment,  decidedly 
wrong.  The  stable  should  be  cool — not  cold — sheltered  and  airy.  The 
loose  box  should  be  large  enough  for  the  Umbs  to  be  stretched  and  for 
the  position  to  be  varied,  according  to  the  inclination  of  the  inmate. 
The  kind  of  equine  residence  which  the  writer  approves  of  has  already 
been  described ;  for  information  upon  this  subject,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  chapter  treating  of  "  Stables  as  they  should  be." 

The  food  should  not  be  such  as  requires  stone  or  steel  to  comminute 
it.  Horses'  jaws  are  not  machines  urged  by  steam,  by  wind,  or  by  water ; 
but  they  are  only  bones  acted  upon  by  the  contraction  of  muscular  fiber. 
The  exhaustion  of  a  part  must,  as  has  been  already  explained,  aflfect  the 
whole ;  the  exertion  of  extraordinary  power  in  the  head  will,  therefore, 
not  refresh  the  limbs.  Feed  the  animal,  while  being  trained,  upon  soft- 
ened, not  upon  watery  substances.  Do  not  oblige  the  body  to  supply  its 
own  moisture,  for  that  is  to  deprive  the  system  of  part  of  the  nourishment 
which  should  be  devoted  to  uphold  the  strength. 

As  concerns  the  articles  of  food,  these  should  not  consist  of  oats  and 


46b  BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 

hay,  although  a  portion  of  either  may  form  a  part  of  the  sustenance. 
There  are  certain  substances  the  nutritive  qualities  of  which  are  ex- 
pended in  the  formation  of  muscular  fiber;  other  materials  are  devoted 
entirely  upon  the  adipose  tissues.  Among  the  last  prominently  stand 
the  favorite  provender  of  the  English  stable,  A  little  of  such  nourish- 
ment is  needed  to  supply  the  exhaustion  of  activity :  so  much  should  be 
presented.  Of  the  other  description — as  beans,  peas,  vetches — there  is 
a  numerous  tribe  of  legumens  or  plants,  which  present  their  seeds  ir 
pods.  Hay  should  be  made  of  these  substances,  by  the  seeds  being  sown 
broadcast  and  mown  when  only  in  flower.  It  is  unfortunate  that  there 
exists  a  belief  such  articles  are  of  too  stimulating  a  nature  to  form  the 
larger  part  of  the  stable  diet.  That,  however,  is  a  point  which  can  only 
be  decided  by  experiment ;  and  the  best  proof  that  no  trial  of  the  kind 
has  been  made,  is  afforded  by  the  needful  preparation  required  for  its 
institution  being  unknown.  However,  the  general  custom  of  maintain- 
ing agricultural  teams  upon  green  vetches  certainly  does  not  countenance 
the  notion  that  peril  necessarily  attends  the  adoption  of  such  a  form  of 
diet. 

The  hours  of  exercise  should  be  amended.  The  morning's  work  should 
be  performed  at  the  earliest  dawn,  when  it  is  getting  light.  The  even- 
ing's labor  should  take  place  at  dusk — after  sunset.  The  dew  will  then 
moisten  and  refresh  the  feet;  the  cool  air  will  brace  and  revive  the 
spirits.  At  such  hours  horses  are  always  full  of  animation.  At  mid- 
day the  creatures  incline  to  repose.  The  animals,  during  the  greatest 
heat,  congregate  under  trees,  hang  the  heads,  and  only  by  the  nervous 
stamping  of  the  feet  or  the  lashing  of  the  tails,  testify  to  being  conscious 
of  the  myriads  which  buzz  around  them. 

No  animal  should  be  trained  with  a  weight  upon  the  back.  It  should 
be  led  by  a  man,  mounted  upon  an  older  horse.  The  exercise  should 
never  be  carried  beyond  that  which  is  needed  to  support  the  health ;  it 
cannot  possibly  be  otherwise  than  injurious,  when  it  is  pushed  to  the 
point  of  exhaustion.  It  betrays  the  folly  of  the  present  system,  when 
we  hear  a  trainer  assert  that  the  legs  and  feet  cannot  endure  the  work 
necessary  to  promote  "condition."  Condition  could  be  induced  without 
a  single  gallop.  Trotting — easy  motion — is  all  that  is  absolutely  im- 
perative; only  the  exercise  should  continue  longer  than  is  at  present 
usual  on  training  ground.  A  horse  thus  conditioned  would  be  brought  to 
the  post  with  its  energies  fresh  for  the  trial — not  lamed,  nearly  crippled, 
nor  thoroughly  enervated. 

Breaking  and  training  both  require  serious  revision.  The  first  needs 
to  be  made  level  with  the  improved  civilization  and  gentler  habits  of  the 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  469 

present  time ;  whereas  it  is  now  almost  that  which  it  has  been  from  the 
earlier  period  of  authentic  record. 

No  notice  is  taken  of  the  presence  of  railways ;  of  the  general  custom 
of  using  fire-arms;  of  discharging  fire-works,  or  the  almost  universal 
habit  of  gas  illumination;  not  to  mention  the  various  strange  sights 
and  novel  exhibitions  which  the  modern  streets  and  highways  fre- 
quently display.  Accidents,  neither  few  nor  far  between,  are  provoked 
by  these  things ;  but  the  breaker,  nevertheless,  refuses  to  acknowledge 
their  existence.  He  views  his  duties  as  perfected,  and  as  needing  or 
admitting  of  no  improvement ! 

So  also  the  trainer.  His  system  has  been  only  influenced  by  the  evils 
generated  through  the  customs  which  he  obeys.  Beyond  the  race-course, 
he  sees  and  acknowledges  nothing.  Railways  bring  crowds  down  to  all 
the  great  contests ;  but  he  still  trains  his  horses  to  run  in  stillness  and 
in  solitude.  Many  quadrupeds  "shut  up,"  when  the  people  shout:  the 
cause  of  this  conduct  the  trainer  refuses  to  recognize.  Numerous  ani- 
mals only  show  their  qualities  after  age  has  familiarized  them  with  the 
tumult  of  the  mob ;  still,  the  trainer  can  see  no  intimation  in  so  evident 
a  sequence,  although  intimately  associated  as  cause  and  effect. 

Then,  with  respect  to  aloes.  This  drug  should  be  discarded  altogether. 
Neither  should  any  of  the  different  nostrums,  now  common  in  the  stable, 
be  employed.  Supposing  the  abdomen  to  be  larger  than  is  desirable,  its 
amendment  should  be  controlled  by  condensed  diet,  and  sufficient  but 
easy  exercise.  An  occasional  drachm  dose  of  iodide  of  iron,  which 
medicine  is  both  an  absorbent  and  a  tonic,  may,  at  long  intervals,  be 
exhibited.  Where  costiveness  prevails,  a  bran  mash  or  two,  with  a 
bundle  of  green  meat,  would  counteract  the  symptom.  To  improve 
the  coat,  liquor  arsenicalis,  in  ounce  doses,  should  be  administered ;  for 
this  preparation  operates  upon  the  integument,  by  strengthening  the 
body. 

The  trainer  may  exclaim  against  green  meat ;  but  it  does  not  retard 
condition  or  generate  weakness  like  aloes,  and  if  employed  as  a  medicine, 
it  is  of  all  importance.  Beyond  the  drugs  mentioned,  nothing  should  be 
given,  save  under  professional  advice :  the  lockers  should  be  cleared  of 
all  medicinal  agents.  Other  compounds  are  not  quite  abolished;  but 
these  should  be  exhibited  only  by  the  veterinary  surgeon — the  quad- 
ruped being  physicked  as  little  as  possible.  When  trained  after  the 
method  which  has  been  indicated,  all  the  dangers  of  the  process  would 
be  avoided :  the  health,  not  the  judgment  of  any  interested  individual, 
would  declare  whether  the  instructions  had  been  obeyed,  or  the  orders 
had  been  violated.  Mystery  and  impudence  would  be  rendered  inoper- 
ative, and  every  animal  started  for  a  race  should  return  to  the  post. 


ilit  BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 

Mu'iiy  of  the  starters  should  not,  as  now,  be  left,  blown,  crippled,  or 
exhausted,  in  the  middle  of  the  course. 

There  is  an  enemy  which  the  trainer  little  suspects,  but  which  affects 
the  health  and  the  honesty  of  his  establishment.  No  regulation  can  be 
rigidly  carried  out,  when  its  adoption  is  dependent  upon  the  whim  and 
the  humor  of  those  undersized  lads  who  lounge  about  the  door  of  every 
training  stable.  These  boys  are  not  half  employed :  they  delight  to 
excel  each  other  in  "larks,"  in  daring,  and  in  mischief.  They  are  very 
seldom  trustworthy.  The  reason  which  causes  them  to  be  retained,  is 
the  lightness  of  their  bodies.  Their  duty  is  to  groom  and  to  ride  the 
animals  which  are  placed  under  the  trainer's  charge.  But  the  first  busi- 
ness is  lightened  by  a  series  of  unfeeling  antics ;  the  last  is  the  act  which 
very  few  of  these  youths  can  properly  perform.  They  get  into  the 
saddle  and  manage  to  remain  there ;  but  how  far  they  study  anything 
more  than  that,  is  demonstrated  by  so  few  of  the  urchins  being  pro- 
moted to  jockeys,  for  which  calling  the  trainer's  stable  should  be  the 
regular  entrance. 

Many  a  horse  will  refuse  to  win  a  race  from  stubbornness  of  temper. 
When  the  way  is  clear  before  it,  the  racer  not  unfrequently  "shuts  up," 
and  cannot  be  induced  to  exert  its  ability  or  to  win.  Whence  is  derived 
that  perversity  which  loves  to  thwart  the  power  a  slave  lives  but  to 
obey  ?  It  is  not  natural  to  the  breed  or  to  the  tribe.  Pass  through  a 
flock  of  yearlings,  and  the  path  is  interrupted,  positively  impeded,  by  a 
host  of  velvet  noses,  each  demanding  to  be  noticed.  Way  is  difficult  to 
be  made  through  so  much  importunate  affection !  However,  walk  down 
the  gangway  of  the  two-year  old  stalls  in  any  trainer's  stable,  and  "  'ware 
horse,"  "'ware  heels,"  is  frequently  shouted  out,  while  the  excess  of 
white  displayed  by  each  animal's  eye  palpably  denotes  the  reason  of  the 
warning. 

The  trainer  may  as  well  break  the  leg  of  a  colt  as  ruin  its  temper. 
The  spirit  cannot  be  right,  when  the  temper,  which  governs  it,  is  per- 
manently warped.  The  power  to  win  is  of  no  service,  if  the  inclination 
to  exert  it  does  not  also  exist.  The  boys  tease  and  plague  the  creatures, 
whose  fate  is,  by  the  rules  of  training,  not  so  blissful  as  to  admit  of  such 
insults  being  patiently  endured.  The  act  offends,  and  engenders  a 
desire  of  resentment,  which  constitutes  the  "jolly  fun"  of  the  lads. 
The  more  excitable  a  colt  may  be,  the  more  valuable  it  is  likely  to  prove 
to  its  owner ;  but  in  proportion  to  its  value  is  the  animal  exposed  to  the 
pranks  which  may  ruin  its  chances  in  the  struggle.  These  things,  of 
course,  are  not  practiced  with  the  trainer's  knowledge ;  but,  nevertheless, 
they  are  all  but  universal,  and  will  become  more  general  if  the  custom 
of  employing  uneducated  boys  is  not  abolished. 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  471 

Another  foolish  practice  is  the  starving  all  animals  when  most  in  need 
of  support.  This  is  common  with  racers  and  with  hunters.  When 
extra  energy  is  imperative,  the  trainer,  by  his  conduct,  pursues  th^ 
measure  best  calculated  to  destroy  all  inclination  for  exertion.  The 
plea  urged  in  defense  of  such  folly  is,  that  a  loaded  stomach  oppresses 
the  breathing.  This  is  true  enough ;  but  the  evils  which  result  from 
gluttony  do  not  establish  that  good  only  can  ensue  upon  starvation. 
Let  the  trainer  experiment  upon  himself,  and  decide  whether  a  light 
meal  or  no  meal  at  all  is  the  better  preparation  for  an  extraordinary 
performance.  Many  trainers  assert  that  a  full  stomach  rests  upon  the 
diaphragm,  and  thereby  is  detrimental  to  the  respiration.  This  is  a 
mistake.  The  digestive  sac  is  pendent  beneath  the  respiratory  agent  • 
a  fact  which  an  inspection  of  the  annexed  engraving  will  amply  illus- 
trate. 


DIAGRAM,  TO   ILLUSTRATE   THE  RELATIVE    POSITIONS  OP  THE   STOMACH   AND   OF   THE  DIAPHRAGM. 

1.  The  lungs.         2.  The  stomach.         3.  The  intestines.  4.  The  diaphragm.         5.  The  bladder. 

If  the  horse  is  about  to  follow  the  hounds,  let  a  meal  of  concentrated 
nourishment  be  presented.  This  may  consist  of  a  quart  of  softened 
malt,  or  a  two-pound  stale  loaf,  moistened  with  fluid,  or  a  few  soaked 
ship  biscuits,  or  anything  of  the  like  nature.  This  quantity  must  drive 
away  the  pangs  of  hunger,  and  the  languor  attending  the  sensation ; 
but  the  author  confidently  asserts  the  impossibility  of  such  a  repast 
proving  detrimental  to  the  respiration.  Then,  let  every  gentleman,  who 
follows  the  chase,  put  into  each  coat-tail  pocket  a  penny  loaf.  When  a 
check  occurs,  the  rider  should  dismount,  and,  having  soaked  one  portion 
of  the  bread  in  any  brook  or  pool,  present  it  to  his  steed.     Such  a  quan- 


4T2 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


tity  would  be  indeed  only  a  snack ;  but  it  would  be  a  welcome  refresh- 
ment. It  would  serve  to  repel  the  approach  of  inanition,  and  enable  the 
quadruped  to  join  with  spirit  in  the  next  "break  away." 

On  the  course,  excess  of  weakness  has  lost  many  a  race.  "W  hy  should 
such  a  system  be  longer  pursued  ?  Why  are  famishing  animals,  when 
prostrated  by  the  want  of  nourishment,  enervated  by  actual  hunger  and 
bv  thirst,  only  considered  qualified  to  exhibit  fleetness  ?  Is  not  the  idea, 
when  plainly  stated,  a  self-evident  fallacy  ?     Nor  is  it  the  only  error 


FED  BETWEEN   THE  BURSTS. 


which  besets  the  antiquated  customs  of  the  trainer.  It  is  usual  to 
change  the  shoes,  in  which  the  animal  is  to  run,  for  what  are  termed 
"plates,"  or,  in  other  words,  for  shoes  so  light  that  fearful  accidents  are 
reported  to  have  occurred  from  these  inadequate  protectors  of  the  hoof. 
Such  things  have  broken  during  the  violence  of  the  contest.  Is  there 
not  a  foppery  in  the  notion  of  making  a  horse's  shoe  so  slight  that  it 
shall  lose  its  property  of  protection,  to  gain  which  advantage  alone 
caused  the  animals  to  be  shod  ? 

All  men  who  have  written  about  the  horse  agree  in  regarding  the 
shoe  as  an  evil  only  to  be  endured  because  of  its  necessity.  Its  chief 
injuries  are  accomplished  by  fettering  the  quarters  as  well  as  the  heels, 
also  by  throwing  the  elastic  frog  out  of  use.  Upon  the  action  of  these 
very  parts  of  the  horse's  foot  the  bound,  the  spring,  and  the  grace  of  the 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


413 


animal  in  no  small  degree  depend.  The  operation  of  such  organs  should, 
therefore,  be  of  more  importance  to  the  thorough-bred  than  they  are  to 
any  other  description  of  quadruped.  "Were  these  structures  never  fet- 
tered, but  the  colt  left  to  comprehend  their  use,  its  agility  would  be 
increased,  its  stride  would  be  lengthened,  and  its  speed  augmented. 

The  racer  chiefly  employs  the  toe  to  bear  weight  upon,  or  this  part 
has  to  endure  nearly  all  the  stress  sustained  by  the  hoof  while  the 
creature  is  running.  Now,  there  are  shoes  known  as  "tips"  which  pro- 
tect the  forward  horn,  but  which  leave  the  elasticity  of  the  backward 
portions  of  the  foot  unfettered.  This  form  of  shoe  is  no  novelty.  It  is 
no  crotchet  of  the  author's,  puffed  into  notice  by  a  morbid  fancy.  It  is 
very  humiliating,  but  it  is  necessary  to  make  such  an  acknowledgment, 
to  take  from  a  recommendation  all  suspicion  of  the  personal  or  inter- 
ested motives  which  are  too  frequently  urged  against  those  who  advocate 
any  improvement  in  stable  practice.  The  author  is  impelled  to  make 
the  suggestion  simply  by  his  interest  in  the  subject.  That  the  reader 
may  comprehend  the  difference  between  the  two  forms  of  shoe,  and  re- 
spectively denominated  a  plate  and  a  tip,  the  illustrations  of  each  are 
here  reproduced  from  the  article  on  Shoeing. 


A  HODEBN  RACING  SHOE. 


AN  ANCIENT  RACING  SHOE. 


A  greater  injury  is  inflicted,  however,  than  has  yet  been  named. 
Blood  horses  are  often  affected  with  brittle  hoofs.  This  condition  of 
horn  renders  the  nailing  on  of  shoes,  even  in  ordinary  cases,  a  matter 
of  some  difficulty.  It  is  a  principle  with  smiths  never,  if  possible,  to 
drive  a  nail  twice  into  the  same  hole ;  and  these  fastenings  being  made 
to  pierce  the  hard  outer  covering  of  the  wall,  the  hold  is,  at  all  times,  in 
danger  of  breaking  away ;  but  when  the  horn  is  abnormally  dry  or  brit- 
tle, the  nails  can  scarcely  be  rendered  secure  by  any  possible  artifice. 

The  kind  of  hoof  which  prevails  among  the  breed  renders  it  very 
desirable  that  the  shoes  generally  worn  should  never  be  changed.  Tips 
being  of  smaller  size  especially,  if  a  bit  of  steel  were  let  in  upon  the  toe, 


47 1 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 


if  tlie  shoe  was  formed  of  the  very  best  metal,  as  the  animal  is  invaria- 
bly exercised  upon  turf,  need  not  be  much  heavier,  if  at  all  weightier, 
than  the  present  racing  plate.  Any  diflTerence  which  possibly  should 
exist  would,  however,  be  counterbalanced  by  a  healthy  condition  of  horn 
induced  by  the  greater  freedom  that  must  be  consequent  upon  an  adop- 
tion of  the  proposed  plan;  while  if  a  slight  additional  burden  be  im- 
posed, that  must  be  much  more  than  counteracted  by  the  new  organs  to 
be  brought  into  activity.  The  frog  and  the  heels,  which  are  now  made 
useless,  would  lend  lightness  to  the  tread,  and  an  ease  of  motion  would 
thereby  be  secured. 

Another  evil  is  produced  by  the  peculiar  notions  which  the  order  of 
trainers  have  for  ages  stubbornly  adopted,  and  which  gentlemen  of  edu- 
cation seem  to  have  implicitly  accepted.  Man  himself  is  not  more  gre- 
garious than  the  horse.    Men  congregate  in  towns ;  but  it  is  not  unusual 


SUMMERED. 


to  encounter  the  individual  whose  delight  is  solitude.  The  equine  race, 
when  free  to  exercise  a  choice,  are  always  seen  in  flocks ;  and  a  solitary 
animal  is  never  to  be  met  with.  Yet  it  has  been  found  that  the  severity 
of  eight  months'  solitary  imprisonment  cannot  be  sustained  by  human 
culprits.  The  trainer,  however,  permits  his  countenance  to  radiate  un- 
der the  smiles  of  benevolence,  when  he  talks  of  turning  an  animal  into 


BREAKING    AND    TRAINING.  It5 

a  loose  box  and  of  granting  the 'prisoner  more  than  half  a  year  of  rest. 
He  never  appears  to  think,  nor  does  his  employer  seem  to  think  for  him, 
whether  such  a  notion  be  possible.  No  one,  apparently,  questions 
whether  stagnation  can  be  a  punishment  to  the  living  embodiment  of 
muscular  activity !  We  see  the  heads  of  quadrupeds,  wearing  the  im- 
press of  dejection  and  looking  the  images  of  hopeless  misery,  hanging 
over  the  doors  of  their  cells ;  but  no  one  reads  the  lessons  which  such 
melancholy  spectacles  plainly  indicate.  The  language  of  truth  is  not 
understood,  and  cruelty  is  perpetuated  by  ignorance. 

When  such  things  are  general  through  the  land,  is  it  not  justice  which 
has  stigmatized  England  as  "the  hell  of  horses?"  Does  not  the  heart 
shudder,  as  it  contemplates  the  sufferings  which  have  for  ages  been  per- 
petrated upon  the  most  generous  and  most  self-sacrificing  of  man's 
many  helpmates  ?  Why  doom  a  quadruped  to  months  of  positive  stag- 
nation? What  is  it  that  converts  the  intended  generosity,  where  the 
horse  is  concerned,  into  an  excuse  for  actual  torture  ?  Why  is  every  act 
and  every  intent,  when  directed  to  this  creature,  made  to  augment  and 
to  increase  its  present  load  of  most  unmerited  suffering  ? 

Wherefore  should  the  hunter,  when  the  season  is  over,  be  shut  up  or 
cast  aside,  as  though  its  life  or  its  feelings  were  unworthy  of  considera- 
tion ?  It  would  be  better  for  the  quadruped's  health  and  its  happiness, 
if  the  attentions  to  its  personal  comfort  were  continued.  It  would  repay 
the  trouble,  were  it  regularly  groomed,  and  fed  upon  the  stable  proven- 
der. Not  turned  into  a  box;  its  body  being,  for  half  a  year,  uncleansed, 
and  its  health  being  debilitated  by  a  superabundance  of  green  fodder. 
It  would  thrive  better,  were  it  gently  hacked  by  a  considerate  proprietor. 
Taken  out  occasionally,  and  quietly  ridden  down  the  shady  green  lanes 
of  the  neighborhood.  Never  bustled,  but  sometimes  breathed  over  an 
even  piece  of  turf.  Ridden  always  for  pleasure,  but  never  saddled  when 
business  is  to  be  transacted.  Such  a  life  might  not  allow  the  groom  so 
much  leisure ;  but  it  would  materially  lessen  his  labors  when  the  hunting 
season  approached.  The  animal  would  need  but  little  ^^ conditioning.''^ 
Improper  sustenance  would  not  have  induced  dropsy;  nor  would  the 
joints  have  stiffened  by  a  long  period  of  enforced  inactivity. 

In  conclusion,  no  horse  should  be  considered  fit  for  general  purposes 
until  it  has  been  educated  to  stand  fire, — to  hear  the  rush  of  sudden 
noises  without  alarm,  and  to  remain  quiet  while  a  railway  whistle  is 
sounded  by  its  rider.  Were  such  things  taught,  how  much  misery 
would  be  avoided  I  But  the  public,  as  a  body,  have  no  faith  in  good- 
ness, although  they  profess  to  believe  that  the  All-good  is  the  All-wise. 

Does  it  not  sound  like  a  fabrication,  to  say  that  in  the  land  where 
many  barbarities  are  openly  practiced  by  the  higher  orders  of  society, 


476  BREAKING    AND    TRAINING. 

there  shoulfi  exist  a  combination,  supported  by  the  rich,  established  to 
suppress  cruelty  when  perpetrated  by  the  lower  classes  ?  The  society 
alluded  to  should  not  be  abolished.  As  an  institution,  it  is  right.  But 
are  the  patrons  in  their  proper  positions,  when  punishing  cruelty  to 
animals?  The  highest  personage  heads  both  the  doings  of  the  race- 
course and  the  corporation  which  professes  humanity.  But  which  is 
•worst — the  sin  which,  for  its  pleasure,  tortures  the  young,  or  the  want 
which,  hardened  by  adversity,  disregards  the  pangs  of  the  aged  ?  Let 
the  society  be  continued;  but  let  the  race-course  also  be  amended. 
Bender  it  a  rational  amusement :  let  it  no  longer  remain  the  dominion 
of  vice,  upheld  for  gambling  purposes,  and  maintained  by  the  heartless 
waste  of  that  life  of  which  man,  in  gratitude,  should  assert  his  right  to 
be  the  natural  protectoi. 


CHAPTER  XT. 

OAERIAGES — THEIR   COST,   THEIR   MAKE,    THEIR  EXCELLENCES,    AND   THEIR 

MANAGEMENT. 

The  following  particulars  are  derived  from  the  highly  respectable 
establishment  of  Edwin  Kesterton,  (late  Horn,)  a  well-known  firm  which 
transacts  business  at  No.  93  Long  Acre.  The  writer  is  directly  indebted 
for  the  facts  now  stated  to  the  generosity  of  Mr.  John  Ronald,  the  gen- 
tleman to  whose  intelligence  is  intrusted  the  conduct  of  the  before-named 
business.  If  an  extended  observance,  assisted  by  years  of  experience, 
can  lend  value  to  information,  certainly  Mr.  Ronald  may  advance  a  good 
plea  to  be  heard  when  speaking  upon  such  a  topic.  And  the  editor  can- 
not forbear  expressing  a  profound  sense  of  personal  obligation  for  the 
unreserved  and  satisfactory  manner  in  which  all  statements  were  com- 
municated, and  unhesitatingly  submitted  to  the  writer's  discretion.  In 
short,  Mr.  Ronald's  mode  of  communicating  his  knowledge  speedily 
gained  the  confidence  of  his  listener;  but  as  individual  characteristics 
cannot  be  embodied  in  a  written  declaration,  the  circumstance  is  only 
mentioned,  to  assure  the  reader  that  the  following  details  are  worthy  of 
his  acceptance  and  deserving  of  his  consideration. 

Carriages  are  of  various  kinds ;  they  differ  very  widely  as  to  cost. 
Every  maker  will  manufacture  every  variety  which  may  not  be  under 
the  protection  of  the  Patent  Office.  Certain  houses,  however,  may  be 
famed  for  a  certain  description  of  conveyances, — as  that  of  Tilbury  for 
the  gig,  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  its  inventor. 

The  following  statement  of  charges  is  to  be  regarded  only  as  a  prob- 
able approximation  to  the  cost  of  those  articles  which  are  specified. 
Nothing  assuming  the  form  of  a  definite  figure  could  be  named,  because 
the  orders  given  by  gentlemen  are  so  essentially  opposite.  Thus  one 
may  be  contented  with  a  simple  crest  or  two ;  but  another  will  insist 
that  his  vehicle  shall  display  the  fullest  heraldic  adornments.  Such 
differences  in  taste  regulate  the  extremes  which  divide  the  charges 
made  for  the  same  description  of  article  when  furnished  by  two  equally 
respectable  manufacturers. 

The  gentlemen  who  profess  Herald  painting  are  remunerated  accord- 

(477) 


418  CARRIAGES. 

ing  to  the  time  occupied,  the  amount  of  work  done,  and  the  elaborateness 
of  the  design  which  has  been  executed.  The  scale  may,  to  the  unini- 
tiated, appear  to  be  gifted  with  a  great  power  of  expansibility ;  but  this 
quality  must  reside  in  every  form  of  art.  Heraldic  painting  demands 
extreme  exactitude ;  for  no  liberty  is  allowable  in  this  practice.  Every- 
thing is  strictly  defined.  All  examples  must  be  rigidly  followed.  Con- 
sequently, such  a  pursuit  must  be  no  inconsiderable  tax  upon  the 
memory,  while  occasionally  it  necessitates  the  most  laborious  research. 
Such  qualifications,  moreover,  should  be  paid  for,  when  exercised  merely 
for  the  gratification  of  another. 

To  convey  a  rough  idea  of  the  expense  of  heraldic  ornamentation,  it 
may  be  stated  that  two  simple  crests  painted  on  a  gig  might,  probably, 
be  executed  for  fifteen  shillings.  Coats  of  arms — such  as  were  usually 
seen  on  the  panels  of  carriages — begin  at  two  guineas ;  but  the  more 
elaborate  embellishments  of  this  description — even  should  they  demand 
no  research  and  require  no  particular  skill — cannot  be  executed  at  a  less 
cost  than  eight  or  ten  guineas.  State  vehicles,  however,  generally  abound 
in  fanciful  adornments.  These  have  exceeded,  for  heraldic  painting  alone, 
four  or  sometimes  five  hundred  guineas.  Such  a  sum  has  been  paid  for 
the  time,  the  labor,  and  the  talent  bestowed  upon  a  single  carriage  which, 
when  thus  embellished,  could  be  seldom  used  ! 

The  foregoing  figures  possibly  may  surprise  most  readers ;  but  there 
are  several  circumstances  to  be  considered  as  tending  to  justify  such 
charges.  In  the  first  place,  the  community  of  Heraldic  Painters  are  few 
in  number ;  and  the  uninviting  character  of  their  studies,  with  the  pro- 
longed probation  to  be  undergone  before  the  novice  is  permitted  to  prac- 
tice the  art,  will  probably  prevent  the  body  from  ever  becoming  a  large 
association.  Then,  the  employment  of  the  proficients  is  very  much  regu- 
lated by  fashion,  which  does  not,  at  present,  appear  disposed  to  favor 
the  display  of  family  honors.  The  pursuit,  when  regarded  by  itself, 
may  be  liberally  recompensed.  Yet  it  is  not  an  every-day  necessity ; 
but,  being  once  finished,  the  work  will  probably  endure  for  years,  while 
the  vehicles  upon  which  the  resources  of  the  art  are  most  expended  are 
not  articles  of  general  use.  Few  heraldic  painters,  therefore,  accumulate 
fortunes;  but  the  great  majority  live  to  repent  having  adopted  that 
which  the  reader  may  have  felt  inclined  to  regard  as  an  extravagantly 
remunerated  calling. 

Also,  connected  with  the  carriage  builder's  trade  is  a  still  smaller  body 
of  industrious  and  of  deserving  persons  known  as  Coach  Draftsmen. 
These  are  the  artists  who  labor  upon  those  neat  and  picturesque  draw- 
ings which  are  always  submitted  for  the  approval  of  that  gentleman 
who  may  order  a  new  vehicle  to  be  built. 


CARRIAGES.  479 

The  primary  requisite  for  such  a  profession  is  firmness,  combined  with 
extreme  delicacy  of  touch ;  an  eye  capable  of  appreciating  the  nicer  rules 
of  art,  united  to  a  mind  fully  endued  with  the  elements  of  grace,  or  with 
that  flow  of  line  wliich  is  inseparable  from  all  elegance  of  design.  None 
of  these  qualities  can  be  dispensed  with  in  the  person  who  embraces  the 
pursuit.  Much  of  the  drawing  is,  no  doubt,  executed  according  to 
measure  and  to  rule,  or  is  purely  mechanical;  but  the  qualities  which 
alone  can  fit  an  artist  for  eminence  in  his  peculiar  calling  are  assuredly 
governed  by  something  very  different  from  and  far  higher  than  the 
patient  employment  of  the  compass. 

Prior  to  considering  the  cost  attending  the  manufacture  of  various 
vehicles,  it  may  be  proper  to  state  some  of  the  reasons  that  render  an 
admirably  built  carriage  apparently  so  expensive.  While  this  is  being 
done,  the  reader  is  requested  to  remember  that  the  present  time  has 
frequently  been  designated  as  that  of  competition.  Artificers  are  said 
to  have  become  too  numerous  for  all  the  members  of  any  trade  to  live 
by  the  practices  of  honesty.  The  people  following  a  particular  business 
are  reported  to  be  more  than  half  employed  in  cutting  one  another's 
throats.  We  are  told  that  no  sooner  does  the  tradesman  establish  a 
thriving  traffic,  than  another  starts  an  opposition,  and  under-sells  him. 

Certainly  there  is  no  realizing  those  snug  profits  which  our  fathers 
talked  about  having  secured,  during  the  termination  of  the  last  and  the 
beginning  of  the  present  century.  Carriage  builders  are  not  few  in 
number,  neither  do  they  constitute  a  close  society.  They  are  numerous 
as  a  trade,  and  each  member  of  the  calling  is  eager  to  transact  business. 
Still,  the  prices  are  not  lowered  by  the  spirit  of  competition.  A  good, 
article  is  yet  worth  nearly  the  same  money  which  it  has  always  cost; 
and  the  patience  of  the  reader  is  earnestly  requested  while  an  attempt 
is  being  hazarded  to  explain  the  cause  of  so  prominent  a  peculiarity. 

Before  a  carriage  can  be  properly  built,  the  conjunction  of  many  dis- 
tinct callings  is  imperative.  They  must  all  work  together,  and  should 
all  be  actuated  by  harmony  of  spirit.  The  various  parts  are  almost  in- 
numerable ;  but  each  must  be  adjusted  with  the  minutest  nicety.  To 
collect,  to  retain,  and  to  practice  a  body  of  men  in  such  united  labor  to  a 
common  end ;  to  entice  artisans,  who  can  exhibit  the  perfection  of  their 
crafts,  to  relinquish  all  idea  of  individuality  or  of  independence ;  and  to 
induce  such  people  to  blend  their  efforts  or  to  allow  only  one  spirit  to 
actuate  a  large  society, — is  no  mean  undertaking.  Yet  this  must  be 
accomplished ;  nor  is  that  all,  for  such  contrary  elements  must  be  re- 
tained, each  mutually  assisting  the  other. 

As  the  proprietor  succeeds  in  accomplishing  this  object,  so  will  be  his 
success  in  the  coach  building  business.     Let  the  reader,  however,  under- 


480  CARRIAGES. 

stand  that  a  good  set  of  workmen  is  not  the  only  necessity  required  for 
this  business.  The  tradesman  must  be  himself  distinguished  by  the 
loftiest  of  human  attributes.  He  must  be  also  willing  to  sink  his  indi- 
viduality in  his  pursuit,  and  must  be  ambitious  only  for  a  general  result. 
The  coach  builder  works  with  very  expensive  woods,  the  original  cost 
of  which  is  materially  increased  by  the  lengthened  periods  that  these 
articles  have  to  be  kept  before  being  used.  The  time  required  to  season 
thoroughly  a  piece  of  timber,  for  the  choicest  of  ordinary  trades,  would 
be  altogether  insufficient  for  the  coach  builder's  purposes.  Wood  must 
not  only  be  seasoned,  but  it  must  be  rendered  so  perfectly  hard  or  dry 
as  shall  make  shrinking  or  warping,  even  in  the  slightest  degree,  totally 
impossible. 

Such  a  necessity  compels  the  coach  builder  to  keep  a  large  stock  of 
the  timber  which  he  employs.  This  wood,  when  introduced  to  the  work- 
shop, must  be  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  perfection.  It  must  be  possessed 
of'  the  greatest  strength  and  the  most  approved  hardness  which  its  fiber 
is  capable  of  exhibiting.  Those  characteristics  can  only  be  attained 
where  the  material  is  particularly  fine  in  grain.  Of  course,  such  a 
quality  makes  the  substance  specially  retentive  of  that  moisture  which 
circulated  throughout  every  product  of  the  vegetable  world.  This  last 
property  gives  rise  to  the  necessity  which  obliges  every  log  to  be  so  long 
kept  before  the  tradesman  dare  have  the  wood  admitted  within  the  pre- 
cincts of  his  established  manufactory. 

The  tools  employed  to  cut  such  timber  must  needs  be  of  exquisite 
temper,  and  of  course  are  equally  costly  to  purchase.  Moreover,  the 
simple  cutting  of  wood  almost  as  hard  as  metal  is  not  sufficient.  The 
workmen  must  be  capable  of  adapting  the  various  parts  so  closely  that 
these  shall,  when  put  together,  possess  the  strength  of  one  entire  piece. 
The  several  junctures  must  be  imperceptible  either  to  sight  or  to  touch; 
the  different  portions  must  fit  as  though  they  grew  together.  No 
amount  of  jolting,  no  possible  shaking  should  cause  the  work  to  yield 
even  a  hair's  breadth.  Should  the  carrfage  be  injured,  though  of  course 
the  paint  must  be  damaged,  nevertheless  the  frame  should  remain  firm. 
Every  part  of  the  vehicle  should  be  formed  to  endure  the  rudest  treat- 
ment; should  be  able  to  sustain,  uninjured,  the  long  rattling  over  the 
roughest  of  country  roads.  Unless  his  products  can  bear  such  usage, 
no  tradesman  need  write  "Coach  Builder"  subsequent  to  his  name. 

The  tools  sold  to  carriage  builders  are  quite  distinct  from  those  manu- 
factured for  the  cabinet-maker  or  the  joiner.  The  first  articles  are  known 
by  different  names,  and  are  kept  as  a  distinct  class  of  superior  goods. 
An  ordinary  chest  of  such  tools,  possessed  by  every  average  journey- 
man, could  not  be  purchased  under  thirty,  or  probably  forty  pounds. 


CARRIAGES.  481 

This  price,  in  order  that  it  may  be  justly  appreciated,  must  be  regarded 
in  connection  with  the  class  of  men  to  whom  it  refers ;  also  it  must  be 
considered  in  association  with  the  facts — that  workmen  provide  their 
own  tools,  and  that  each  man  is  confined  to  one  particular  species  of 
toil;  that  the  members  of  every  shop  often  borrow  and  as  frequently 
lend;  and  that  every  tradesman  is  educated  to  adopt  various  resources 
Thus  one  instrument  is  often  compelled  to  serve  several  uses. 

An  ordinary  carriage  builder  can  generally  command  two'  guineas  a 
week.  That  sum,  however,  does  not  fairly  represent  the  earning  of  all 
workmen,  when  viewed  as  members  of  one  body.  Most  clever  artificers 
will  not  engage  by  the  period ;  but  they  prefer  to  be  paid  by  the  piece. 
A  person  of  no  more  than  average  talent,  when  employed  at  piece-work 
on  the  ordinary  run  of  jobs,  can  gain  from  two  to  three  guineas  by  six 
days'  toil.  Thus  every  man  in  the  trade  has  a  direct  stimulus  to  im- 
provement, the  higher  wages  being  a  constant  spur  to  excite  the  work- 
people, none  ■  but  the  better  sort  of  whom  are  engaged  on  the  more 
remunerative  labor. 

Then,  of  the  many  trades  which  the  coachmaker  employs,  each  must 
be  the  perfection  of  its  order.  The  upholstery  must  not  be  merely  tacks 
or  tacking.  All  must  be  sewn  with  the  stoutest  thread,  and  nailed  with 
an  intention  that  it  should  never  loosen.  The  smith's  work  must  be 
forged  with  an  exactitude  which  is  little  expected  in  the  general  sphere 
of  the  anvil.  The  painting  and  the  varnishing  must  be  carried  to  the 
refinement  of  possible  finish.  In  short,  the  best  of  many  opposite  call- 
ings must  be  united  before  a  carriage  manufactory  can  be  instituted. 

The  business  which  necessitates  the  junction  of  such  adverse  kinds  of 
perfection,  of  course  cannot  be  conducted  cheaply.  The  climax  of  ability 
is  a  commodity  which  will  always  command  a  ready  sale,  and  for  which, 
in  every  market,  there  is  never  a  lack  of  bidders.  He  who  wishes  to 
obtain  it,  must  not,  therefore,  haggle  about  remuneration ;  but  be  pre- 
pared to  meet  its  demands  with  liberality.  That  circumstance,  taken  in 
conjunction  with  the  expensive  nature  of  all  the  materials  he  employs, 
disables  the  coachmaker,  who  is  anxious  to  do  justice  to  his  patron  and 
to  himself,  from  producing  a  cheap  article. 

A  full  dress  coach  or  chariot,  such  as  once  were  the  only  conveyances 
permitted  to  approach  St.  James's  Palace  on  a  Drawing  Room  day, 
cannot  be  properly  made  for  a  less  sum  than  four  hundred  guineas;  if 
the  taste  of  the  customer  should  be  very  fastidious,  either  article  may 
cost  seven  or  even  eight  hundred  guineas.  A  state  carriage  must  be 
charged  for  according  to  its  adornments,  which  can  almost  be  carried  to 
any  extent. 

The  state  carriage  which  was  built  to  order  for  a  particular  monarch 

31 


482 


CARRIAGES. 


had  solid  silver  let  in  upon  its  exterior ;  while  the  ground  was  composed 
of  the  choicest  colors,  overlaid  by  the  most  exquisite  decorative  painting. 


A  DRESS  CARRUOE. 


The  charge  for  this  toy  was  seven  thousand  guineas.  The  Sheriffs  of 
London,  however,  manage  to  ride  in  a  state  carriage  at  a  more  economi- 
cal rate.  Their  vehicles  are  commonly  hired  for  the  year  of  office ;  and 
the  expense  is  only  varied  by  that  amount  of  adornment  which  each  new 
dignitary  may  please  to  command.  The  ordinary  charges  are  seldom 
lower  than,  eighty  guineas,  and  are  rarely  higher  than  one  hundred  and 
sixty  guineas. 


A  BAROUCHE. 


A  neatly-built  step-piece  barouche  is  certainly  an  elegant  conveyance, 
though,  at  the  present  moment,  hardly  so  popular  as  it  was  a  few  years 
ago.  Vehicles,  like  most  other  things,  are  subject  to  the  arbitrary  dic- 
tates of  fashion,  and  this  circumstance  renders  the  coachmaker's  stock, 
which  must  at  all  times  be  costly,  particularly  hazardous.  However, 
the  risk  which  is  inseparable  from  the  character  of  the  trade  must  be 
covered  by  the  profit  account  when  the  books  are  balanced.  A  good 
•barouche  is  an  expensive  luxury;  since  this  conveyance  cannot  be 
manufactui'ed  under  one  hundred  and  sixty  guineas,  while  it  may,  with- 
out much  extravagance,  be  easily  made  to  cost  two  hundred  and  twenty 
guineas. 

The  landau,  which  has  now  become  almost  the  exclusive  property  of 
the  ladies,  is  even  more  expensive  than  the  barouche.  But  with  this 
fact  it  may  be  necessary  also  to  state  that  the  landau  requires  to  be 
especially  well  built,  and  must  be  highly  finished  in  every  part.     It 


CARRIAGES.  ,  48S 

ought  to  be  particularly  light  in  appearance,  and  so  nicely  balanced 
upon  its  springs  that,  though  perfectly  firm,  the  touch  from  a  finger 
nevertheless  could  set  the  body  in  motion.  Such  properties  necessitate 
the  very  best  workmanship  which  can  be  procured,  even  in  the  carriage 
trade.'  Consequently,  this  kind  of  conveyance  cannot  be  properly  raised 
for  a  less  price  than  two  hundred  guineas;  but  as  the  feminine  taste 
appears  to  be  more  cheaply  satisfied  than  are  the  masculine  desires,  the 
cost  of  an  ordinary  landau  seldom  rises  above  two  hundred  and  fifty 
guineas. 


A  OAKRIAQE  WITHOUT  C  SFRINQS.  -  A  BROnOHAU. 

A  coach  without  the  circular  springs,  or  C  springs,  as  they  are  com- 
monly called,  and  also  wanting  a  dickey  or  seat  behiijd,  is  now  manufac- 
tured according  to  various  patterns.  This  kind  of  conveyance  is,  at 
present,  frequently  encountered  in  the  streets  of  London.  Of  course,  it 
is  difficult  to  name  the  price  of  an  article  which  is  generally  built  in  ac- 
cordance with  some  arbitrary  command,  and  which  is  not  governed  by 
any  acknowledged  regulation.  The  cost,  therefore,  can  only  be  controlled 
by  the  time,  the  labor,  and  the  materials  which  are  expended  in  the  con- 
struction ;  but  this  may  be  roughly  calculated  at  something  between  one 
hundred  and  ninety  and  three  hundred  guineas.  Such,  however,  are 
light  and  pleasant  carriages,  sufficiently  roomy  to  ride  at  ease  in,  and 
not  difficult  to  propel.  They  are  rapidly  ascending  on  the  scale  of 
public  favor. 

Broughams  seem  to  be  made  of  various  forms :  some  vehicles  bearing 
this  name  are  very  little  better  than  the  more  cleanly  order  of  street  cabs. 
But  such  a  brougham  as  no  gentleman  need  be  ashamed  to  own,  or  need 
blush  to  see  his  crest  emblazoned  on,  should  be  built  for  one  hundred 
and  thirty  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  guineas.  These  vehicles  have 
been  much  improved  of  late.  They  were  formerly  manufactured  of 
a  weight  which  was  a  severe  tax  upon  the  strength  of  one  horse,  and 
they  Were  at  once  vulgar  both  in  appearance  and  in  size.  The  draught 
has  been  greatly  diminished,  while  the  aspect  has  been  so  far  improved 
AS  to  advance  a  claim  to  elegance.  Those  proprietors  who  still  cling  to 
a  brougham  which  can  accommodate  more  than  two  persons  usually 


484  CARRIAGES. 

have  tbe  equipage  drawn  by  two  small  horses.     The  carriage,  thus  pro- 
pelled, looks  showy,  and  is  moved  with  perfect  ease. 

A  mail  phaeton  may  occasionally  be  seen  driven  through  the  park. 
But  this  form  of  vehicle  is  not  now  so  much  used  as  it  was  a  few  years 
ago ;  but  when  well  appointed,  it  certainly  has  a  most  aristocratic  ap- 
pearance. Few  ladies,  however,  like  to  ride  in  such  a  conveyance, 
unless  they  occupy  a  seat  in  the  front  compartment,  and  are  accom- 
panied by  the  husbands,  who  are  driving.  Such  a  prejudice  consigns 
half  of  this  carriage  to  the  servants,  while  the  length  of  the  phaeton 
renders  its  draught  so  heavy  as  to  necessitate  the  employment  of  two 
horses.  Custom,  therefore,  makes  these  vehicles  expensive  to  the  pro- 
prietors, although  the  first  cost  is  not  so  large  as  the  style  suggests. 
One  hundred  and  forty  guineas  or  one  hundred  and  sixty  guineas  will 
generally  cover  the  purchase  of  the  mail  phaeton. 


A  MAIL  PHAETON.  A  POOK-WHEEIED  DOG  CART. 

The  four-wheeled  "dog  cart"  has  lately  come  into  general  use.  Such 
conveyances  possess  a  more  gentlemanly,  and  have  an  infinitely  less 
dangerous  appearance,  than  the  two-wheeled  "turn  outs"  bearing  a 
similar  designation.  When  driven  with  a  pair  of  spirited  horses,  they 
may  proceed  at  almost  any  pace  with  perfect  ease  and  safety ;  running 
very  light,  yet  affording  ample  accommodation  for  every  portion  of  the 
load,  and  looking  the  perfection  of  a  sporting  "concern."  They  are, 
moreover,  when  compared  with  the  sums  at  which  the  more  showy 
properties  of  most  carriages  are  purchased,  not  to  be  esteemed  expen- 
sive. A  good  article  of  this  description  can  be  bought  for  seventy 
guineas,  and  the  most  elaborated  seldom  costs  more  than  one  hundred 
and  twenty  guineas. 

Gigs  of  different  denominations  are  mostly  of  one  price.  This  figure 
ranges  from  forty  to  seventy  guineas.  It  matters  not  the  shape,  whether 
it  be  a  Stanhope  or  a  two-wheeled  dog  cart,  the  expense  is  pretty  much 
the  same.  The  last  form  of  vehicle  is  now  coming  into  very  general 
use ;  but  when  fully  loaded,  it  appears  dangerous,  and  is  a  severe  tax 
upon  animal  strength  when  driven  at  the  rate  which  most  drivers  seem 
to  prefer.     Hence  the  obvious  origin  of  the  four-wheeled  dog  cart,  which, 


CARRIAGES.  485 

when  harnessed  to  a  pair  of  horses,  is  free  from  those  objections  that  the 
original  form  of  this  conveyance  invariably  suggested. 


A   TWO-WHEELED   DOG    CART. 


A  well-built  carriage  is,  consequently,  a  rather  expensive  convenience ; 
but,  unfortunately  for  the  honest  tradesmen,  few  persons  are  qualified  to 
advance  an  opinion  upon  the  conveyance.  The  reader,  therefore,  must 
accord  his  indulgence  while  the  author  endeavors  to  explain  the  points 
which  characterize  a  well-manufactured  article.  In  the  first  place,  the 
wheels  should  revolve  without  perceptibly  varying  from  the  line  which 
they  indicated  when  the  <  carriage  was  stationary  and  the  tires  were 
viewed  from  behind.  They  should  not,  during  rotation,  incline  either  to 
the  right  or  to  the  left,  for  if  they,  when  in  motion,  alter  even  a  hair's 
breadth  from  such  a  line,  it  i§  proof  positive  that  the  wheels  are  faulty. 
They  should  move  slowly  and  quickly  without  making  the  slightest 
sound :  they  should  glide  noiselessly  over  all  even  surfaces,  and  with  no 
more  audible  disturbance  than  is  unavoidable,  they  should  travel,  at  the 
most  rapid  pace,  over  the  roughest  highway. 

The  body  should  be  poised  so  evenly  as  will  answer  to  the  gentlest 
force,  and  be  readily  swayed  by  more  violent  action ;  but  however  ex- 
cited it  may  be,  the  body  should  never  lean  to  either  side,  and,  the  im- 
petus being  arrested,  it  should  speedily  become  stationary.  All  the 
parts  should  be  firmly  united.  When  violently  urged,  the  movements 
should  elicit  no  creaking;  the  steps  should  not  jingle;  the  windows 
should  not  rattle ;  and,  above  all,  when  the  outlets  are  shut,  a  person 
inside  should  be  incommoded  by  no  perceptible  draught. 

That  time  may  not  injure  such  properties,  the  coach-house  should  be 
warm,  should  be  well  aired,  and  should  be  perfectly  dry.  Damp  is 
ruinous  to  the  paint,  to  the  ornaments,  and,  in  short,  to  every  part  of  a 
conveyance.  As  the  most  used  carriage  must  be  a  greater  number  of 
hours  within  its  house  than  it  can  possibly  be  abroad,  so  for  the  larger 
portion  of  its  existence  is  it  exposed  to  the  operation  of  those  enemies 
(when  any  exist)  which  will  be  silently  destroying.  The  length  of  time 
which  a  vehicle  improperly  housed  may  endure,  will  of  course  greatly 
be  dependent  upon  the  amount  of  evil  with  which  it  has  to  contend ; 
but  only  a  moderate  degree  of  moisture  will  so  speedily  tarnish  as  shall 


486  CARRIAGES. 

necessitate  rfestoration  at  least  twelve  months  prior  to  the  usual  season 
for  that  renovating  process. 

A  good  coach-house  should  neither  by  door  nor  by  window  communi- 
cate with  the  stable.  Such  openings  are  usually  present  in  most  London 
buildings,  and  are  evidently  allowed  either  from  thoughtlessness  or  from 
a  greater  feeling  for  the  servant's  convenience  than  regard  for  that  which 
the  servant  is  engaged  to  keep  in  order.  The  fumes  of  the  stable  prin- 
cipally consist  of  ammonia  or  of  the  volatile  alkali.  These  emanations, 
from  manure  made  pungent  by  the  exclusion  of  atmospheric  air,  are 
very  insidious  in  their  effects,  and  are  much  more  destructive  than  either 
of  the  fixed  anti-acids,  potash  or  soda. 

Most  coachmen  are  aware  that  the  employment  of  soap,  in  any  form, 
is  injurious  to  paint  and  to  varnish.  Soap,  however,  is  a  salt,  or  consists 
of  an  alkali,  which  is  neutralized  or  combined  with  a  fatty  acid.  Still 
alkali,  even  in  this  shape,  should  not  be  applied  to  any  conveyance. 
The  idea  of  dissolving  potash  or  soda  in  water,  and  then  employing  the 
liquid  to  cleanse  the  family  carriage,  appears  to  be  so  preposterous  as  to 
be  rejected  even  by  the  ingenious  ignorance  of  the  stable.  But  a  single 
application  of  the  last  agents  would  do  less  damage  than  the  long  ex- 
posure of  a  vehicle  to  the  more  penetrating  fumes  of  gaseous  ammonia. 

Another  subject  of  much  importance  to  the  carriage  interest — but 
one  not  generally  considered  by  the  majority  of  proprietors — is  the  kind 
of  water  with  which  the  stable  is  supplied.  Coachmen  commonly  think 
to  counteract  the  ill  effects  of  bad  water  upon  the  horses,  by  exposing 
pails  filled  with  the  liquid,  for  some  hours,  within  the  tainted  interior  of 
the  stable.  But  the  fluid  is  more  likely  to  become  foul  from  the  impuri- 
ties which  it  can  there  absorb,  than  for  the  action  of  ammoniacal  gas  to 
amend  the  properties  or  to  correct  the  evil  qualities  of  the  Uquid. 

Hard  water,  especially  that  which  is  impregnated  with  a  solution  of 
any  mineral  substance,  is  equally  prejudicial  to  the  health  of  animals  and 
to  the  beauiy  of  vehicles.  Such  should  never  be  employed  in  any  stable. 
Soft  water  or  river  water  is  alone  suited  for  either  purpose.  Pipe  water, 
or  water  which  has  traveled  far  in  leaden  tubes,  is  frequently  impure ; 
while  pump  or  well  water  should  always  be  avoided. 

This  may  to  many  readers  appear  a  trivial  matter  to  be  so  energeti- 
cally enforced ;  but  as  all  the  comforts  of  life  are  only  secured  by  atten- 
tion to  those  particulars  which  surround  existence,  certainly  the  pocket 
of  the  master  is  concerned  in  the  conditions  to  which  his  carriage  is 
exposed. 

Many  gentlemen,  however,  will  permit  the  servants  to  ruin  the  best- 
made  carriage,  and  then  blame  the  builder,  because  his  work  is  capable 
of  being  abused.     When  the  family  returns  home  at  midnight,  sfter  the 


CARRIAGES.  481 

necessities  of  the  horses  have  been  attended  to,  the  vehicle  should  be 
thoroughly  sluiced  with  cold  water,  so  that  not  a  speck  of  dirt  remain 
clinging  to  the  paint.  At  whatever  hour  the  residence  may  be  reached, 
this  operation  should  never  be  neglected.  The  free  and  copious  employ- 
ment of  fluid  floated  over  the  varnish  is  imperative,  and  (as  will  be 
explained  hereafter)  prevents  serious  damage. 

There  is  no  occasion,  at  so  late  a  period,  when  extreme  hours  have 
probably  indisposed  the  servants  for  exertion,  that  the  carriage  should 
be  regularly  cleansed  with  brush,  mop,  and  pail ;  but  a  large  watering- 
pot,  kept  ready  for  such  uses,  will,  in  a  very  brief  space  and  without 
much  trouble,  pour  forth  a  steady  stream  of  liquid,  and  float  off  the 
loose  fresh  mud  by  the  simple  action  of  gravitation.  This  done,  the 
superabundant  moisture  will  have  run  off  the  varnish,  which  was  first 
sluiced,  and  th^  surface  may  be  roughly  dried  with  a  sponge.  All  being 
accomplished,  the  coachman  may  safely  delay  his  regular  routine  of 
duties  until  he  rises  on  the  following  morning. 

The  reason  which  necessitates  a  carriage  to  be  immediately  washed, 
whenever  it  returns  home  soiled,  is  quickly  stated.  If  wet  mud  be  per- 
mitted to  continue  and  to  dry  upon  the  surface,  a  white,  opaque  spot 
will  afterward  indicate  the  place  to  which  the  dirt  adhered.  Moreover, 
a  vehicle  which  is  invariably  left  in  its  coat  of  filth  until  the  following 
morning,  always  requires  repainting  and  revarnishing  twelve  months, 
and  very  often  two  years,  before  the  general  period  for  restoration,  when 
the  opposite  and  the  more  careful  measures  are  adopted. 

Should  a  carriage  have  to  wait  the  convenience  of  its  master,  it  should 
never  rest  in  the  full  blaze  of  the  sunshine.  Where  a  choice  is  possible, 
the  careful  servant  always  withdraws  into  the  shade.  It  is  even  worth 
while  that  pride  should  so  far  sacrifice  its  feelings  as  to  sanction  such  a 
precaution  ;  for  the  cool  shadow  is  not  only  more  pleasant  for  the  horses, 
but  is  infinitely  better  than  the  extreme  of  glare  and  heat  for  the  convey- 
ance to  which  the  animals  are  harnessed. 

The  excess  of  light  causes  the  varnish  to  crack,  and  removes  the  gloss 
from  the  smartest  vehicle.  The  smooth  and  the  highly  polished  surface 
suffers ;  this,  of  course,  injures  the  deeper  structures.  Should  the  carriage 
have  been  purchased  from  an  honest  builder,  there  is  small  danger  of 
any  degree  of  warmth  affecting  the  main  structure ;  but  if  the  custom 
of  standing  in  the  sunshine  is  sanctioned,  the  paint  will  not  last  longer 
than  three  years,  while,  even  for  that  period,  the  effect  will  not  be  good ; 
since  the  cracks  in  the  varnish  serve  as  gutters  wherein  soil  will  ac- 
cumulate. 

The  well-built  body  of  a  regular  carriage  should  remain  together 
while  three   sets  of  wheels  are  used  up.     The   arbitrary  dictates  of 


i88  CARRIAGES. 

fashion,  however,  interfere  with  the  economy  which  was,  formerly,  gen- 
erally observed.  Few,  save  the  titled  or  the  old  aristocratic  families,  at 
present  keep  what  once  was  the  recognized  build  of  every  private  car- 
riage. The  conveyances  now  manufactured  for  the  moneyed  and  the 
respectable  classes  are  built  according  to  no  common  model;  but  the 
forms  are  moulded  by  the  dictates  of  most  arbitrary  caprice.  The  article 
therefore  which,  when  it  was  newly  built,  excited  surprise  and  kindled 
emulation,  shall,  before  it  has  existed  eight  years,  provoke  contempt, 
as  a  lumbering  concern  altogether  behind  the  spirit  of  the  age.  Con- 
sequently, the  duration  being  limited,  (and  a  set  of  wheels  being  cal- 
culated, with  ordinary  work  and  care,  to  last  four  years,)  not  many  of 
the  lighter  and  more  novel  vehicles  can  be  used  for  a  longer  period  than 
suffices  to  wear  two-thirds  of  the  stated  number. 

A  set  of  wheels  hardly  ever  cost  the  same  price,  when  made  for  ve- 
hicles of  different  descriptions.  A  brougham  and  a  carriage  both 
possess  four  wheels ;  yet  the  charges  made  for  each  kind  are  very  op- 
posite. The  wheels  proper  for  a  carriage  cost  fourteep  or  twenty 
guineas;  whereas  those  which  are  fittest  for  a  brougham  can  be  made 
for  ten  guineas.  Then,  again,  the  gig  requires  only  two  wheels ;  but 
the  pair  are  generally  sold  at  six  guineas.  These  variations  are  regu- 
lated by  the  extent  of  the  circumference,  the  substance  necessitated,  and 
by  many  particulars  which  the  reader  can  readily  imagine.  Wheels  are, 
therefore,  somewhat  expensive;  a  fresh  supply  is  rendered  the  more 
costly,  because  the  newness  of  one  part  makes  imperative  the  renovation 
of  the  whole ;  although  some  persons  avoid  such  a  consequence  by 
having  the  wheels  and  the  body  of  a  carriage  of  different  colors.  How- 
ever, such  piebald  affairs  always  betray  the  intention,  and  the  idea  of 
exposing  a  personal  meanness  has,  hitherto,  prevented  the  practice  from 
being  generally  adopted. 

The  good  and  the  careful  coachman  can  only  display  the  value  of  his 
services  when  there  is  no  stint  of  those  appliances  which  are  imperative 
for  the  proper  exercise  of  his  calling.  It  is  always  necessary  that  the 
master's  economy  should  afford  no  ready  excuse  for  neglect  of  duty  in 
the  servant.  This  is  important,  because  no  domestic,  excepting  the 
groom,  has  such  valuable  and  such  perishable  property  intrusted  to  his 
discretion.  Paint  and  varnish  are  not  enduring  commodities.  Most 
London  houses  are  redecorated  every  third  year;  with  all  care,  a  car- 
riage will  appear  respectable  but  one  term  longer. 

For  the  proper  discharge  of  his  duties,  the  coachman  requires  three 
sponges  and  three  leathers  for  the  body  of  the  vehicle.  One  sponge  to 
cleanse  the  coarser  dirt  from  the  carriage ;  another  to  remove  any  linger- 
ing soil;  while  the  third  serves  to  render  the  surface  somewhat  dry, 


CARRIAGES. 


489 


A   WHEEL   SETTER. 


previous  to  the  employment  of  the  leathers.     For  the  wheels  a  setter, 

or  a  machine  to  raise  them  from  the  ground,  cannot  be  dispensed  with ; 

a  mop  and  a  pail  to  remove  the  dirt;   a 

brush  to  cleanse  the  angles ;  also  sponges 

and  leathers  to  thoroughly  purify  or  polish 

the  surface — all  are  needed.    There  should 

also  be  a  superior  brush  for  the  lining; 

and   another  brush,  with   an   additional 

leather,  to  brighten  the  brass  or  plated 

ornaments  upon  the  exterior. 

To  polish  the  last,  no  preparation  ex- 
cels prepared  chalk,  when  mixed  with  soap 
and  water.    It  thoroughly  removes  every 

impurity,  without  sensible  wear  of  the  substance  to  which  it  is  applied. 
In  this  last  particular,  it  possesses  an  immense  advantage  over  the  gritty 
pastes  sold  for  the  purpose  of  polishing  metals ;  for  this  material  acts 
chemically  and  mechanically  on  such  surfaces.  The  prepared  chalk  may, 
moreover,  be  purchased  at  every  chemist's,  the  charge  commonly  being 
a  shilling  for  the  pound;  while  the  other  ingredients  are  found  in  every 
household. 

In  one  respect,  few  servants  are  sufficiently  careful.  They  imagine 
whitening  and  other  filths  are  indispensable  when  glass  is  to  be  cleaned. 
The  prejudice  originates  in  ignorance ;  for  glass  requires  nothing  except 
two  leathers,  or  a  sponge  and  a  leather,  to  render  it  perfectly  bright. 
The  first  article  should  be  merely  moist,  the  intention  being  to  loosen 
or  to  remove  the  superficial  dirt.  After  this  has  been  accomplished,  the 
dry  leather  is  brought  into  play  to  cleanse  and  to  polish  the  metal.  By 
such  an  easy  and  so  simple  a  resort  are  prevented  those  accumulations 
round  the  edges  of  windows,  and  the  soiled  condition  of  the  frames 
which  disgrace  too  many  carriages,  and  which  certainly  would  generate 
no  regret  if  rendered  altogether  impossible. 

The  lining  does  not  need  so  much  care  as  might  be  imagined.  Unless 
the  weather  be  hot  and  the  roads  very  dusty,  it  will  hardly  require  more 
than  a  single  brushing.  A  brown  holland  cover  for  the  interior  has 
become  general ;  but  such  a  thing,  when  soiled,  should  never  be  sent  to 
the  family  washerwoman.  The  article  may  come  home  washed,  starched, 
and  ironed  to  perfection ;  but  in  these  processes  it  is  sadly  stretched  and 
pulled  out  of  shape.  The  holland  never  sets  well  afterward,  and  very 
speedily  requires  the  cleansing  to  be  repeated. 

The  proper  method,  and  not  the  dearest  in  the  end,  is  to  return  such 
things  to  the  carriage-maker,  by  whom  such  matters  are  understood; 
the  article  will  be  returned  cleansed  and  calendered,  looking  like  new 


490  CARRIAGES. 

maleriui  and  with  no  part  strained  or  stretched  till  it  does  not  fit  into 
its  relative  situation. 

When  speaking  of  cleaning,  it  may  be  as  well  to  caution  the  reader 
against  purchasing  the  requisites  for  cleaning  his  carriage  of  the  nearest 
tradesman  or  at  the  cheapest  shop.  Such  goods  should  all  be  of  a  supe- 
rior description,  or  of  a  kind  which  is  not  encountered  in  the  stock  of 
most  dealers.  They  cannot  be  purchased  for  a  less  sum  than  three 
pounds  ten  shillings,  if  the  quality  is  to  be  excellent :  and  it  is  always 
better  to  commission  the  carriage  builder  to  procure  them  than  to  risk 
obtaining  worthless  articles. 

Most  vehicles,  whether  mounted  upon  two  or  four  wheels,  are  furnished 
with  mats  or  small  carpets,  though  the  nature  of  these  articles  are  better 

represented  by  such  things  being  desig- 
t^ll^^^^m^^immm&i-f^  iiated  "rugs."  These  "rugs"  are  com- 
^I^^^^^^H^^H^^  monly  of  two  sorts :  one  kind  being 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H^m  known  as  "Brussels,"  the  other  being 
^^B^^^^^^^^^^BS|     xermed  "pile."     The  last,  of  any  figure, 

always  strike  the  beholder  as  not  hav- 
ing been  specially  made  for  the  situation 
which  the  article  occupies.  The  Brus- 
sels are  not  open  to  the  same  objection, 
having  an  ornamental  center,  surrounded 
A  pii^  AND  A  BnussE,.s  CARRIAGE  cA^         ^j     ^   complex  bordcr.      However,  the 

PLACED  TOGETHER.  J  r  ' 

coachman  should  always  carefully  at- 
tend to  the  rug  every  morning;  because,  as  the  pavement  has  to  be 
crossed  every  time  the  passenger  leaves  or  enters  the  conveyance,  that 
upon  which  the  feet  rest  is  more  likely  to  be  soiled  than  any  other 
portion  of  the  interior. 

Moist  mud  upon  the  surface  of  the  rug  should  never  be  interfered 
with.  The  soil  should  invariably  be  permitted  to  become  dry  prior  to 
its  removal  being  attempted.  Then  the  offending  patch  is  more  quickly 
displaced  by  rubbing  the  sides  smartly  together,  or  by  passing  a  clean 
besom  briskly  but  not  heavily  over  the  place,  than  by  those  numerous 
gentler  measures  which  occupy  more  time  in  performance  and  are  more 
wearing  in  their  operation.  All  dirt  being  removed,  no  further  brushing 
is  required ;  but  the  rug,  after  having  been  beaten  against  any  door  post, 
(but  that  of  the  stable,)  may  be  replaced  in  the  carriage.  All  rugs  should 
be  similarly  treated,  and  should  be  always  removed  every  morning;  be- 
cause grit  will  necessarily  accumulate  upon  the  floor,  and  thus  cause 
much  more  wear  than  can  be  occasioned  by  the  feet  alone. 

As  concerns  those  things  which  the  wheels  require,  the  coachman 
should  observe  three  matters,  which  are  all  specially  important :  screw- 


CARRIAGES.  491 

ing  on  the  box  or  the  central  cover ;  oiling  the  axletrees ;  and  perpetu- 
ally noticing  the  wear  which  the  tire,  or  the  marginal  rim  of  metal, 
undergoes.  With  regard  to  the  box,  that  should  be  screwed  until  the 
wheel  turns  steadily,  evenly,  and  pleasantly.  Should  sensible  efifort  be 
requisite  to  put  the  wheel  in  motion,  the  necessity  for  force  is  proof  posi- 
tive that  the  box  has  been  screwed  too  tightly,  or  that  it  has  been  made 
to  press  too  hardly  against  the  wheel,  which  it  should  merely  help  to 
retain  in  its  position.  Such  a  compression,  acting  upon  all  four  of  the 
wheels,  will  increase  the  draught  threefold,  the  action  being  the  same  as 
a  break  when  it  is  applied  to  check  the  perilous  downward  progress  of 
any  vehicle. 

Inferior  axle-trees  soon  wear  with  the  friction  of  the  wheels  which 
rotate  upon  them.  Colins's  (expired  patent)  are,  perhaps,  the  best; 
though  the  choice  is  somewhat  extensive,  and  there  is  no  article  of  this 
description  which  does  not  possess  some  merit.  When  the  box  will  not 
screw  steadily,  and  the  case-hardening  of  the  axle  has  worn  oif,  the 
wheel  is  not,  as  many  persons  imagine,  imminently  dangerous ;  but  its 
rotation  becomes  uneven,  and  the  motion  of  the  carriage  is  rendered  less 
pleasant  to  the  rider.  The  greasing  or  the  oiling  of  the  wheels,  when 
the  work  is  of  the  ordinary  duration  and  character,  is  performed  suffi- 
ciently often,  if  done  once  in  three  months.  Quicker  progression  neces- 
sitates more  constant  attention ;  and  the  axles  of  a  conveyance  driven 
notoriously  fast  had  better  be  inspected  every  week. 

Coachmen  are  not  commonly  negligent  concerning  such  particulars. 
Neglect,  however,  would  cause  the  grease  to  assume  a  solid  form,  and 
Impede  the  motion.  This  effect  causes  an  extra  drag  upon  the  collars 
of  the  horses ;  and  gentlemen,  when  the  vehicle  moves  slowly,  should, 
upon  reaching  home,  see  that  the  axles  are  properly  greased,  and  the 
boxes  are  not  screwed  too  hardly. 

The  tires  will  sometimes  outlast  the  wheels;  but  all  depends  upon 
the  distance  covered,  the  weight  drawn,  and  the  pace  at  which  the 
vehicle  is  driven.  Some  gentlemen — especially  medical  gentlemen  in 
full  practice — will  wear  through  a  set  of  tires  in  eight  or  nine  months, 
when  the  orders  given  are  to  move  fast,  and  four  changes  are  required 
to  get  through  the  daily  visits.  However,  no  person  should  risk  riding 
in  a  carriage  when  the  tires  become  perceptibly  thin  or  loose. 

Small  lamps  are  a  mistake.  Diminutive  lanterns  may  in  some  eyes 
look  prettier  during  daytime ;  but  when  they  are  used,  the  confined  space 
does  not  allow  the  amount  of  oxygen  to  enter  the  interior  which  is  re- 
quired to  support  the  flame.  The  consequences  are,  diminished  brilliancy 
and  an  abundance  of  smoke.  The  glasses  become  speedily  soiled  and 
the  reflectors  deadened.     A  lamp  of  sufficient  size  is  not  without  its 


402 


CARRIAGES. 


A  L^RGE  AND  A  SMALL  LAMP. 


recommendations,  as,  even  in  daylight,  it  lends  purpose  and  dignity  to 

the  vehicle  w^hich  it  adorns.  At  night  it 
will  nourish  the  flame,  and  cause  the  re- 
flectors to  shine  forth  with  almost  dazzling 
effulgence. 

That  it  may  do  this,  however,  it  is  im- 
perative the  proper  kind  of  candles  be  con- 
sumed. Of  candles,  there  are  two  kinds 
sold  for  carriages.  One,  which  is  the 
cheaper,  is  a  composition  that  soon  soft- 
ens under  the  combined  effect  of  confined 
heat  and  strongly  reflected  flame.  The 
light  is  not  bad,  but,  nevertheless,  is  far 
from  brilliant;  while  the  want  of  an  essential  property  makes  the  candle 
dear,  even  when  purchased  af  a  lower  price.  The  other  light  is  the  old, 
stout,  wax  candle,  which,  if  procured  from  a  respectable  dealer,  will  burn 
brightly,  and  scarcely  be  affected,  with  regard  to  firmness,  after  the  longest 
night  journey  has  terminated. 

The  carriage,  when  in  the  coach-house,  should  be  covered  and  pro- 
tected from  soil  by  a  large  brown  holland  envelope.  Under  such  a  pro- 
tection, it  is  usually  placed  with  every  door  and  window  closed.  The 
consequence  is,  that  too  many  vehicles  strike  cold  when  entered,  and 
communicate  to  the  passenger  a  damp  or  musty  smell.  The  interior  is 
foul  with  imprisoned  air;  and  custom  conserves  the  moisture  natural  to 
confinement.  The  appendage  suggestive  of  luxury  is  thus  rendered  a 
dangerous  possession. 

The  brown  holland  covering  will  exclude  the  dust.  Always,  there- 
fore, leave  the  windows  wide  open  whenever  the  carriage  is  in  the  house. 
The  atmosphere  of  such  a  locality  should  be  warm  and  dry.  It  will 
sweeten  the  interior,  within  which  four  people  may  have  been  seated 
and  breathing  for  upwards  of  an  hour  on  the  night  before,  when  the  rain 
fell  in  torrents.  It  will  freshen  up  the  padded  linings,  and  the  mistress 
will  be  grateful  for  the  care  which  the  coachman  has  bestowed  upon  her 
comfort. 

The  owners  of  carriages  are  not  sufficiently  carefiil  when  engaging 
the  stable  attendant.  They  often  will,  if  there  be  a  vehicle  to  look  after, 
without  hesitation  hire  a  groom  to  perform  the  duty.  When  this  is 
done,  the  gentleman  infers  that  the  man  who  can  dress  horses  must 
necessarily  comprehend  everything  that  concerns  the  carriage  to  which 
horses  are  harnessed.  Such  an  inference  is  certainly  not  warranted  by 
fact.  A  good  groom  professes  to  understand  only  horses ;  and  servants 
of  this  description  are  the  coachmaker's  aversion.     It  would  assuredly 


I 


CARRIAGES.  493 

be  better  for  many  parties  could  proprietors  condescend  to  exercise  a 
little  more  caution  in  this  particular;  as  a  capable  dependent  alone 
ought  to  be  created  potentate  over  all  the  contents  of  the  stable. 

All  that  essentially  concerns  a  carriage  having  now  been  stated,  the 
subject,  as  the  reader  will  have  perceived,  is  not  remarkably  difficult  to 
understand.  A  few  questions,  therefore,  put  to  the  candidate  for  a  situa- 
tion, would  speedily  elicit  whether  the  applicant  comprehended  the  duties 
of  that  office  which  he  aspired  to  undertake.  Ignorance  can  by  its  mis- 
doing prove  quite  as  harmful  as  the  most  designing  malice.  Much  money 
and  no  little  vexation  would  be  spared  could  gentlemen  practice  a  rea- 
sonable precaution  before  trusting  in  the  discretion  of  a  stranger. 

It  was  formerly  a  rule  among  the  trade  to  allow  five  per  cent,  every 
year  off  the  employer's  bill  as  a  gratuity  to  the  servant.  This  custom 
was  general,  not  only  with  the  carriage  builder,  but  with  all  persons  who 
had  dealings  with  the  stable.  It  even  extended  to  those  whose  services 
were  only  occasionally  retained,  involving  the  veterinary  surgeon,  the 
shoeing  smith,  etc.  The  reason  upon  which  such  a  habit  was  based 
being  a  desire  to  bribe  the  coachman,  that  he  might  damage  what  the 
trades-people  would  be  required  to  repair ;  or,  at  all  events,  it  was  a  fee 
commonly  paid,  hoping  it  would  encourage  the  extravagance  which  it 
was  the  master's  interest  to  restrain.  "  The  good  old  days,"  however, 
are  past  I  Most  carriage  builders  have  learned,  from  experience,  their 
best  interests  are  promoted  not  by  the  fragility,  but  by  the  enduring 
quality  of  those  articles  which  they  supply.  Most  proprietors  also  know 
how  long  a  sound  conveyance  should  endure,  as  well  as  what  ought  to 
be  the  average  cost  for  repairs. 

The  more  respectable  houses,  even  now,  certainly  give  trifling  presents 
to  the  deserving  domestics  whom  they  encounter ;  but  such  presents  are 
bestowed  rather  to  induce  care  than  to  encourage  willful  damage  of  the 
manufacture,  for  the  tear  and  wear  of  which  the  donor  is  responsible. 
In  proof  of  this,  the  head  of  an  establishment  may  frequently  be  seen 
walking  about,  restless  with  pleasurable  emotions,  when  a  vehicle  which 
was  built  by  his  house  shall  last  a  month  or  two  over  the  regular  period 
for  renewal ;  and  the  servant  would  therefore  find  he  had  embarked  in  a 
losing  speculation,  who  should  damage  his  master's  property  with  the 
intent  of  increasing  his  occasional  gratuity. 


CHAPTER  XYL 

SADDLER1,  HARNESS,   AND    STABLE    SUNDRIES — OP   WHAT    THESE    CONSIST; 
THEIR   APPLICATION   AND   THEIR   PRESERVATION. 

The  ensuing  particulars  were  communicated  by  Mr.  Thomas  Sains- 
bury,  Junr.,  the  skillful  foreman  to  a  well-known  and  old-established 
firm  —  Messrs.  Gibgon  &  Co.,  of  Coventry  Street,  Leicester  Square. 
Proceeding  from  so  trustworthy  a  source,  the  information  cannot  other- 
wise than  merit  implicit  confidence ;  for  when  descanting  on  the  above 
subject,  the  author,  being  anxious  to  state  only  facts,  deemed  it  better  to 
seek  instructions  from  an  established  tradesman  rather  than  to  employ 
such  knowledge  as  he  himself  possessed ;  since,  not  being  acquainted 
with  every  branch  of  the  business,  his  opinions  must  necessarily  be  more 
or  less  speculative,  or  based  upon  probabilities.  Havmg  enjoyed  the 
benefit  of  Mr.  Sainsbury's  unreserved  communications,  the  writer  rejoices 
at  the  resolution  which  he  had  formed ;  and  can  only  tender  his  sincerest 
thanks  to  Messrs.  Gibson  &  Co.  for  the  extreme  liberality  they  have 
evinced  throughout  the  transaction. 

Saddlery  and  harness  making  are  two  distinct  branches  of  one  occu- 
pation. Saddlery  strictly  irnplies  only  that  furniture  which  fits  a  steed 
for  the  uses  of  its  rider.  Harness  making  signifies  the  manufacture  of 
those  trappings  which  are  employed  upon  animals  of  draught.  There 
are,  also,  other  subdivisions  recognized  by  the  trade ;  but  on  the  present 
occasion  these  need  not  be  particularly  enlarged  upon. 

Many  men  are  expert  at  either  kind  of  manufacture ;  but  the  best 
workmen  are  those  who  devote  themselves  to  one  particular  branch  of 
the  trade.  Such  can  only  find  remunerative  employment  with  the 
masters  who  can  afibrd  to  keep  an  artisan  constantly  employed  at  the 
work  in  which  he  excels. 

Saddlers  justly  complain  that  a  horse  cannot  be  accurately  fitted  when 
the  animal  is  fresh  from  a  dealer's  stable.  A  good  saddle  should  be  so 
exquisitely  adapted  to  the  body  on  which  it  is  placed  as  scarcely  to  be 
moved,  even  by  the  action  of  the  limbs.  A  tradesman  approaches  per- 
fection, therefore,  in  proportion  as  his  trappings  cleave  to  the  trunk  for 
r494) 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  495 

which  they  are  manufactured.  Such  a  desideratum  necessitates  that  a 
precise  measurement  should  be  taken.  Not  only  is  length  and  breadth 
required,  but  the  curves  or  shape  of  the  body  are  also  needed.  The 
material  employed  by  saddle-makers  to  ascertain  such  particulars  is 
equally  simple  and  effective.  It  consists  merely  of  a  narrow  slip  of 
pliable  sheet-lead,  about  two  feet  long,  and  doubled  in  the  center,  like 
a  pair  of  compasses.  Such  a  material  will  preserve  the  outline  of  that 
body  on  which  it  may  be  compressed,  and  is  sufficiently  solid  to  retain 
any  indentations  made  upon  its  substance ;  thus  it  possesses  those 
attributes  which  to  the  saddler  are  essentials. 

With  such  an  article,  the  shape  of  the  barrel,  the  sweep  of  the  shoul- 
ders, and  the  hollow  of  the  back  can  be  accurately  moulded,  while  even 
particulars  can  be  ascertained;  for  lead 
demands  little  pressure  to  assume  the 
figure  of  any  substance  over  which  it  is 
bent,  and  will  subsequently  remain  suf- 
ficiently fixed  to  permit  of  the  lines, 
which  have  been  modeled,  being  traced 
upon  a  sheet  of  paper.      This  process      a  baddle-tree  -with  the  spring  shrrcp 

,  ,  ,  1  -1  t  ^^"^  ATTACHED. 

should  always  be  observed ;   but  when 

a  saddle  has  to  be  made,  it  does  not  constitute  the  "be  all  and  the  end 
all"  of  the  tradesman's  duty.  The  tree,  or  the  wooden  base  of  the  future 
article,  should  invariably  be  tried  on  the  horse  before  the  furnishing  is 
proceeded  with,  because  a  saddle  cai\not  possibly  be  perfect  when  the 
foundation  of  the  structure  shall  prove  defective,  and  any  error  is  more 
easily  corrected  before  the  article  be  further  complicated. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  obvious  folly  to  have  a  saddle  or  a  harness  fitted  to 
a  quadruped  while  the  body  is  loaded  with  fat,  as  the  majority  of  horses 
are  when  fresh  from  the  dealer's  yard.  At  first  no  part  should  be  accu- 
rately adjusted,  but  margin  should  be  allowed  for  those  subsequent  alter- 
ations which  are  always  imperative.  After  three  or  four  months  the 
dealer's  "make  up"  usually  subsides.  Then  each  article  will  require  to 
be  overlooked,  and  may  be  amended  to  the  animal's  form,  which  probably 
will  be  preserved  after  it  has  been  taken  into  regular  work. 

The  choice  of  leather  is  of  primary  importance  to  the  manufacturer  of, 
and  to  the  dealer  in,  equine  furniture.  After  the  goods  are  made  up,  no 
man,  excepting  he  be  a  regular  workman,  can  possibly  form  an  opinion 
concerning  the  material  of  which  it  is  composed.  Certain  tradesmen, 
not  of  questionable  respectability,  are  in  the  habit  of  ticketing  cheap  arti- 
cles to  entrap  chance  customers.  The  dealers,  however,  do  not  always 
know  the  precise  nature  of  the  trash  which  they  become  the  means  of 
circulating.    They,  nevertheless,  must  guess  its  character,  for  it  is  bought 


496  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

of  the  scamps  who,  shut  out  from  all  honest  employment,  exist  by  prac- 
ticing upon  the  ignorant,  or  by  pandering  to  the  selfishness  of  the  reckless 
portion  of  society. 

The  fellows  purchase  faulty  leather.  This,  when  made  up,  necessarily 
has  the  under  surface  concealed ;  it  then  requires  a  sharp  and  an  edu- 
cated eye  to  detect  the  nature  of  the  fixed  and  highly  polished  material. 
The  men,  however,  are  fully  aware  that,  with  most  gentlemen,  stoutness 
is  the  test  of  quality.  The  prejudices  of  the  general  public  are  therefore 
propitiated,  only  the  well-known  shops  being  solicited  by  the  peculiar 
order  of  workmen  now  under  consideration.  It  is^a  common  trick  with 
the  fraternity,  before  using,  to  line  the  flimsy  stuff  which  they  employ. 
This  artifice  is  practiced  as  a  bait  to  catch  the  notorious  weakness  of 
those  persons  in  whose  parsimony  they  find  their  most  profitable  cus- 
tomers. 

Stoutness,  however,  may  frequently  deceive,  even  where  excellence  is 
really  present.  A  good  piece  of  leather  is  not  always  characterized  by 
its  bulk.  The  article  which  possesses  the  greatest  strength  may  be  thin, 
but  it  will  feel  supple  and  mellow  to  the  hand.  A  skin  of  such  a  nature 
may  confidently  be  trusted  to  wear.  Persons,  however,  who  are  not 
educated  to  understand  these  qualities,  would  do  well  to  avoid  the  showy 
harness  which,  in  leading  thoroughfares,  is  stuck  prominently  forward, 
and  is  very  low  in  price.  This  generally  fails  when  stress  is  put  upon  it. 
A  fair  proportion  of  all  accidents  reported  spring  from  that  cause,  a  com- 
mon form  of  which  is  snapping  of, the  reins  when  these  are  subjected  to 
more  than  ordinary  tension.  Such  things  are  either  cut  from  unsound 
leather,  or  made  of  imperfectly  manufactured  material,  or  the  furniture 
of  the  harness  is  designedly  deficient  in  some  most  essential  quality. 

By  the  furniture  of  harness  is  strictly  implied  that  portion  which  is  of 
metal,  and  which  is  always  added  to  the  leather  before  the  fabric  is  com- 
pleted. The  best  metallic  ornaments  are  a  London  product,  and  are 
always  forged  or  cast,  but  never  stamped.  The  best  quality  of  iron 
alone  should  be  used  for  such  a  purpose.  Recently  a  very  superior 
article  has  been  adopted  by  the  trade.  This  is  made  of  the  metallic 
combination  known  as  German  silver.  That  substance  was,  when  first 
brought  under  public  notice,  far  too  brittle  to  be  employed  by  the  har- 
ness-maker; but  late  improvements  have  endowed  it  with  a  strength 
and  a  tenacity  equal  to  that  exhibited  by  the  very  best  Swedish  iron. 

After  the  furniture  has  been  shaped,  it  has  to  be  plated.  It  is  as  a 
plated  article  that  German  silver  is  most  valuable.  The  butler's  pantry 
is  characterized  by  greater  delicacy  than  commonly  distinguishes  the 
stable,  though,  in  both  places,  goods  the  same  in  kind  may  have  to  be 
operated  upon.     When  the  thin  coating  of  silver  is  removed,  of  course 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  .  497 

the  substance  upon  which  it  is  overlaid  must  be  exposed.  The  duration 
of  a  modern  ornament  cannot  be  accurately  stated ;  but  when  the  chiei 
body  was  of  iron,  the  contrast  presented  by  the  coarser  metal  and  the 
silvered  surface  rendered  repeated  renewals  unavoidable :  whereas  the 
integrity  of  the  superficial  layer  is  not  so  important  when  the  bulk,  bott 
in  color  and  in  aspect,  is  a  fair  imitation  of  the  more  precious  invest- 
ment. For  this  reason,  Messrs.  Gibson  always  recommend  the  use  ot 
plated  German  silver,  which,  if  a  trifle  dearer  to  the  purchaser,  proves 
in  the  end  the  most  economical,  besides  being  a  superior  article  from  the 
commencement. 

Buckles  are  of  much  use,  as  these  allow  the  harness  to  be  adjusted; 
but  no  buckles  can  adjust  that  which  is  not  properly  made.  The  tight- 
ening or  loosening  of  a  strap  may  improve  the  set ;  but  a  suit  of  well- 
constructed  harness  should  be  so  accurately  proportioned  as  to  fall  into 
its  proper  place  without  the  aid  of  manual  strength  or  the  repeated 
alteration  of  the  various  fastenings.  When  harness  does  not  fit,  the 
collar  either  pains  the  shoulders  or  the  saddle  galls  the  back.  An  animal 
cannot  progress  steadily  when  its  attention  is  engrossed  by  bodily  suf- 
fering. The  sight  is  no  longer  employed  to  guide  the  steps.  The  foot 
is  incautiously  placed  upon  a  stone ;  the  steed  stumbles  over  the  first  in- 
equality ;  or,  the  mind  being  excited  by  pain,  any  object  may  alarm  or 
startle  the  quadruped.  The  animal  is  blamed,  and  has  been  destroyed 
because  of  such  accidents ;  whereas  the  real  cause  of  the  mischief  was 
a  badly -made  set  of  cheap  harness,  which  was  probably  worn  for  the 
first  occasion,  and  which  the  owner  may  have  journeyed  forth  specially 
to  display. 

Such  mishaps  should  caution  the  public  always  to  have  the  trappings 
of  a  horse  made  for  the  quadruped ;  or,  at  all  events,  altered  by  a  proper 
tradesman,  before  allowing  them  to  be  employed.  The  difference  of  cost 
between  the  ready-made  article  and  the  goods  which  are  manufactured 
to  order  is  not  more  than  a  third  of  the  outlay ;  while  the  products  of 
any  respectable  house  will,  upon  an  average,  last  twice  as  long  as,  and 
need  infinitely  less  repairing  than,  the  rubbish  which  is  sold  "cheap." 
Therefore,  by  true  economy,  by  durability,  and  by  safety,  the  public 
should  be  urged  to  a  particular  selection. 

The  gentleman,  however,  who  contemplates  "starting  his  horse,"  must 
not  conceive  the  expenditure  has  terminated  with  the  purchase  of  the 
animal.  There  are  stables  to  rent  and  a  groom  to  hire.  Then  there  is 
the  building  to  provide  and  to  furnish ;  a  saddle  and  a  bridle  to  procure ; 
with  a  set  of  harness  and  a  vehicle  to  obtain.  Rent  and  servant  neces- 
sitate no  immediate  outlay.  Hay,  oats,  and  straw  may  possibly  be  ac- 
quired upon  short  credit;  but  stable  furniture,  saddlery,  harness,  and 

32 


498 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


vehicle  should  be  paid  for  on  delivery ;  otherwise  more  than  a  fair  per- 
centage for  time  and  for  money  may  be  added  to  the  account. 

The  articles  requisite  to  furnish  a  stable  are  rather  numerous ;  cer- 
tainly they  are  somewhat  expensive.  Because  of  that  circumstance, 
everything  should  be  purchased  of  the  stoutest  kind  and  of  the  best 
quality.  On  no  account  should  the  servant  receive  extra  wages  to 
supply  such  necessaries.  The  man,  when  making  such  an  agreement, 
of  course  contemplates  a  profit,  and,  as  he  concludes  the  bargain,  calcu- 
lates how  few  accessories  he  can  contrive  "to  get  along  with,"  The 
smaller  the  number  the  greater  must  be  the  pecuniary  gain.  The  horse 
is,  therefore,  inconvenienced,  if  not  tortured,  by  certain  processes  being 
accomplished  with  inefficient  instruments,  the  grooming  being  performed 
rather  to  please  the  master's  eye  than  to  conduce  to  the  comfort  of  his 
animal. 

The  consequences  of  such  an  arrangement  are,  the  gentleman  is 
cheated,  the  horse  is  maltreated ;  while  the  only  gainer  by  the  transac- 
tion, should  he  be  suddenly  discharged,  of  course  carries  away  the  many 
et  ceteras  he  has  been  paid  to  provide.  The  stable  is  in  a  great  measure 
stripped  of  its  furniture.  The  new-comer  may  not  enter  upon  his  situation 
immediately.  A  helper,  who  must  in  the  interim  be  engaged,  will  not 
feel  disposed  to  adopt  any  artifice  for  the  convenience  of  his  employer. 


Moreover,  the  new  servant  may  agree  to  certain  conditions,  without 
comprehending  the  outlay  these  involved.  Grooms,  when  they  enter 
upon  a  fresh  situation,  seldom  possess  cash  in  any  abundaneo ;  therefore, 


J 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


499 


several  expedients  are  imperative,  each  of  which  implies  the  imperfect 
performance  of  some  necessary  duty. 

Supposing  one  horse  only  to  be  kept,  stable  furniture  embraces — 
clothing.  Of  this,  the  first  cost  of  the  blanket  kind  certainly  is  the 
lowest;  but  the  sort  denominated  "kersey"  last  much  the  longer  period 
and  therefore  must,  in  the  end,  prove  by  far  the  least  expensive.  The  ani- 
mal's clothes  consist  of  several  pieces,  each  being  known  by  a  distinct 
name :  as,  quarter-sheet ;  breast-piece ;  hunting-piece ;  pad-cloth ;  hood ; 
body-roller,  and  knee-caps. 

To  these  are  added  a  moderate  sized  and  coarse  blanket  or  horse  rug 
far  the  night,  as  well  as  a  night  roller  to  fasten  it  upon  the  body. 


mOHT  CXOTHJNa. 


Among  the  stable  furniture,  which  is  more  directly  employed  about 
the  horse,  ranks  the  head  collar,  the  manger  log,  and  the  manger  rein 
or  the  rope  rein.  Of  which  last,  the  leathern  fastening  is  not  much  the 
dearer;  while  in  appearance,  in  utility,  and  in  wear,  it  will  be  found 
altogether  the  superior. 

Of  articles  required  by  the  groom  for  use,  are  the  scraper;  the  hoof 
picker;  the  curry-comb;  the  dandy,  or  dandruff  brushes  and  water 
brushes ;  combs ;  straight  and  crooked  scissors  for  trimming  the  mane 
and  tail ;  sponges ;  bandages  for  the  legs ;  cloths ;  leathers ;  a  rack  chain ; 
the  pillar  reins ;  the  exercising  bridle ;  hard  and  soft  brushes  for  clean- 


f>00  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

ing  harness;  a  burnisher;  a  brush  to  clean  the  bit;  an  oil  pan  and  a 
brush;  a  dung  basket;  pails  and  forks.  All  these  articles,  that  they 
may  survive  the  usual  treatment  of  such  things,  should  be  supplied  by 
some  reputable  tradesman. 


BOMB  or  THS  ARTICLES  BEQinSITE  FOR  THE  GROOM'S  USli 

The  above  goods,  being  designed  to  endure  hard  wear,  should  each 
be  of  the  best  possible  quality.  More  order  than  is  commonly  observed 
ought  to  be  maintained  in  the  arrangement  of  the  stable,  A  place 
should  be  allotted  for  every  article  when  not  in  use.  That  this  may  be 
accompHshed,  stables  should  be  built  with  better  accommodations  for 
storing  than  it  is  customary  to  provide  in  such  erections.  Bottles,  jars, 
and  implements  are  now  thrust  into  any  ready  corner ;  the  interiors  of 
these  places  consequently  present  a  littered  appearance;  but  such  an 
aspect  is  unavoidable,  when  there  exists  no  receptacle  where  such  arti- 
cles might  be  placed  until  again  required.  There  is  now  no  help  for  the 
nuisance :  forks,  brooms,  pails,  and  boxes  must  incumber  the  gangway, 
since  the  architect  never  provides  a  situation  where  such  properties 
might  be  more  safely  lodged. 

Another  essential  should  be  attended  to  by  every  gentleman  who 
values  the  condition  of  his  horse,  the  comfort  of  his  stable,  or  the  pres- 
ervation of  those  accessories  with  which  the  last-named  place  must  be 
stocked — this  is,  the  temper  of  the  servant.  Some  people  favor  a 
strange  prejudice,  which  asserts  irritability  and  industry  are  frequently 
associated.  Anger,  however,  does  not  open  the  heart  to  sympathy, 
and  its  habitual  display  assuredly  unfits  its  victim  for  the  exercise  of 
authority. 

Evil  passion  will  render  a  servant  disobliging,  and  cause  him  to  be- 
come an  expensive  retainer.     The  manner  in  which  the  failing  will  act 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  501 

upon  the  groom  may  not  be  very  apparent  to  the  reader,  therefore  his 
indulgence  is  requested  while  the  author  proceeds  briefly  to  explain  the 
matter. 

Nothing  can  possibly  be  more  extravagant  than  passion.  It  is  heed- 
less of  consequences,  and  destruction  is  its  delight.  The  author  formerly 
knew  a  gentleman  who  used  to  indulge  in  the  most  violent  fits  of  un- 
bridled temper.  He  made  his  home  miserable,  and  a  moderate  income 
was  sadly  crippled  by  expenses  resulting  from  gusts  of  constitutional 
irritability.  The  last  consequence,  it  is  melancholy  to  relate,  alone  in- 
duced thoughts  of  amendment.  When  this  individual,  in  later  life,  became 
conscious  that  what  he  termed  his  cloudy  mood  threatened  to  darken 
his  intellect,  he  would  retire  to  some  soUtaiy  apartment :  there,  he  would 
station  himself  before  a  looking-glass,  and  begin  simpering  and  blandly 
talking  to  his  own  image.  He  would  then  tear  or  break  something, 
generally  a  wooden  or  a  paper  match,  and,  having  thus  gratified  that 
which  he  named  his  destructive  impulse,  after  a  few  more  antics  would 
return,  all  smiles,  to  the  bosom  of  his  family,  exclaiming,  "Thank 
Heaven  !     It's  all  over  now  1" 

But  the  great  majority  of  grooms,  imbued  with  the  pride  of  ignorance, 
cannot  afford  to  acknowledge  a  failing.  Conceit  makes  them  rather  lend 
strength  to  an  affliction  by  striving  to  conceal  its  existence.  The  master 
may  never  discover,  if  he  cares  not  to  search  for,  the  truth.  But  the 
servant  is  necessarily  empowered  with  absolute  control  in  the  stable. 
The  implements  speedily  are  damaged ;  certain  duties  are  either  neg- 
lected or  imperfectly  performed ;  the  horse  loses  its  fat ;  the  coat  never 
looks  well;  the  eye  becomes  restless  from  the  natural  timidity  of  the 
animal  being  perpetually  awakened.  Nothing  promotes  thrift  in  a  quad- 
ruped like  the  placidity  of  its  attendanf ;  whereas  the  constant  alarm 
excited  by  the  habitual  anger  of  its  superior  is  inimical  to  that  glossy 
outside  and  blooming  aspect  in  which  the  larger  number  of  horse  owners 
80  much  delight. 

The  groom,  in  most  situations,  is  greatly  trusted  with  valuable  prop- 
erty. In  a  large  stable  the  cost  of  the  trappings  alone  would  form  no 
inconsiderable  possession  to  a  needy  man.  There  must  be  either  sad- 
dlery or  harness.  There  is  no  one  to  overlook  the  treatment  of  either. 
Such  articles  are  expensive,  and  each  is  composed  of  numerous  compli- 
cations. Harness  for  one  horse  consists  of  a  bridle,  of  a  collar,  of  a  pad, 
of  a  martingale,  of  reins,  of  traces,  of  a  breeching  or  of  a  loin  strap,  of  a 
crupper,  etc.;  all  of  which  should  be  solidly  and  well  constructed.  The 
whole  should  be  formed  of  the  very  best  leather,  for  any  defect  in  this 
^miture  may  be  fruitful  with  the  greatest  danger.  Hence  the  advantage 
of  dealing  with  a  maker  whose  warranty  represents  more  than  a  wordy 


302  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

inducement  to  purchase ;  and  hence  the  necessity  for  care  in  the  servant 
to  whom  such  perishable  property  is  intrusted. 


OIQ  HABMKSS  WITH  KIOKINO-BTRAP. 


For  the  gig  horse,  a  set  of  harness,  if  embellished  with  plated  orna- 
ments, is  generally  charged  about  thirteen  pounds.  For  a  pair  of  car- 
riage animals,  the  harness  possessing  similar  adornments  will  commonly 
cost  nearly  thirty-three  pounds.  If  brass  is  preferred  in  the  place  of 
plated  goods,  a  slight  reduction  is  the  result.  Yet  even  the  foregoing 
figures  do  not  include  crests  and  other  fanciful  items,  which  are  invariably 
paid  for  as  extras,  since  no  estimate  could  possibly  embrace  articles  con- 
cerning the  size,  the  number,  and  the  elaboration  of  which  the  tastes  of 
scarcely  two  individuals  perfectly  agree. 

The  harness  for  a  brougham  is  generally  more  expensive  than  that 
sold  for  the  gig.  Extra  strength  is  required,  and  where  work  and  leather 
are  concerned,  of  course  strength  represents  money.  The  trappings  also 
should  be  more  showy  and  more  embellished  when  intended  for  a  serv- 
ant's use.  Most  gentlemen  prefer  the  animal  they  control  should  be  so 
caparisoned  as  to  attract  no  attention.  This  feeling  causes  the  differ- 
ence in  price.  Ornamentation,  where  the  horses  are  to  be  adorned,  of 
course  necessitates  expenditure,  though  the  degree  in  which  the  last 
quality  shall  be  exhibited  necessarily  depends  on  the  taste  of  the  pro- 
prietor. 

Carriage  harness,  however,  is  viewed  as  the  perfection  of  its  particular 
craft.  It  is  astonishing  how  nice  is  the  adjustment  required,  and  how 
perceptible  any  fault  or  deficiency  becomes  to  the  least  observant  spec- 


I 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  503 

tator.  The  carriage  may  be  new,  the  liveries  of  the  smartest  kind,  bui- 
unless  the  harness  be  excellent,  the  general  effect  will  be  deteriorated 
The  pace  of  the  horses  is  rendered  uneven,  the  coachman  becomes  nerv- 
ous, and  the  vehicle  is  not  drawn  smoothly  onward  when  any  sensible 
defect  exists.  Gentlemen  cannot  imagine  how  much  danger  is  hazarded 
by  the  endeavors  often  made  to  procure  an  expensive  article  at  less  than 
a  fairly  remunerative  price. 


FULL  SUIT  OF  BROUOHAU  OR  PHAETON  HARNESS. 


Harness  is  thus  expensive  because  its  uses  demand  excellence  in  every 
part.  It  is  subject  to  daily  trials ;  it  must  be  manufactured  to  sustain 
perpetual  tests  as  well  as  to  endure  constant  supervision.  A  good  set 
of  harness  should  wear  eight  or  ten  years,  although  during  the  length- 
ened service  repeated  repairs  must  be  expected.  The  mendings,  or  per- 
haps the  partial  renewals,  will  of  course  grow  heavier  as  the  age  of  the 
material  increases.  If  done  by  piece-work,  the  repairs  will  average  from 
one  pound  to  four  pounds  yearly ;  but  if  a  contract  be  entered  into  with 
the  maker,  the  terms  usually  are  from  thirty  shillings  to  two  pounds  per 
annum ;  the  agreement  dating  from  the  commencement  of  the  wear. 

The  endurance  of  such  things,  however,  is  greatly  governed  by  the 
uses  to  which  they  are  subjected,  and  by  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
treated.  When  harness  is  seldom  at  home,  of  course  it  wears  faster  than 
when  it  is  rarely  or  is  moderately  employed.  The  industry  and  habits 
of  the  person  who  looks  after  the  articles  have  also  to  be  considered. 
Some  lazy  men  will  ruthlessly  wash  the  leather  in  a  pail  of  water  and 
afterward  hang  it  upon  the  most  convenient  paling  to  dry  in  the  sun 
shine.     Such  a  proceedmg  will  prove  quickly  ruinous :  harshness  is  in 


5)4 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


duced ;  all  suppleness  is  destroyed ;  a  disposition  to  crack  is  engendered ; 
while  the  plated  ornaments  speedily  become  tarnished. 

The  proper  method  of  cleaning  is,  to  employ  as  little  water  as  possible. 
A  moist  sponge,  well  soaped,  may,  when  very  much  soil  exists,  be 
quickly  passed  over  the  surface,  but  each  part  should,  without  loss  of 
time,  be  immediately  dried  after  the  dirt  is  removed.  All  the  mud 
having  been  thus  obliterated,  the  several  pieces  should  be  most  carefully 
gone  over  again  with  a  dry  cloth,  so  as  to  absorb  any  possible  moisture 
which,  during  the  first  cleansing,  may  have  escaped  notice.  In  fine  or 
during  dusty  weather,  no  fluid  is  necessary,  nor  should  the  employment 
of  any  be  suffered.  A  pail  of  water  will,  doubtlessly,  save  labor ;  but 
the  servant's  leisure,  which  is  thereby  secured,  is  a  severe  burden  upon 
the  master's  income.  A  good  brush,  not  too  hard,  but  one  having 
springy  hair,  will  soon  remove  all  dry  impurities ;  and  with  that  the 
harness,  when  not  made  moist  by  the  road  or  rendered  wet  by  exuda- 
tion from  the  animal's  body,  should  always  be  cleansed. 


A  FULL  SUIT  OF  OARRIAQB  HARNESS. 


This  being  done,  apply  Harris's  jet-black  oil,  but  not  thickly ;  enough 
has  been  laid  on  so  that  the  application  lies  upon  every  portion  of  the 
surface.  No  long  time  need  be  allowed  for  the  oil  to  dry  in ;  but  the 
•first  piece  is  generally  ready  to  receive  the  next  application  by  the  time 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  ''>05 

the  last  part  has  been  properly  finished.  Then  apply,  a  little  of  the 
compo.,  which  being  polished  to  a  lustrous  black,  the  entire  process  is 
perfected  by  a  final  wash  of  Harris's  harness  fluid. 

The  appearance  will  be  longer  preserved  when  harness  is  cleaned  aftei 
the  foregoing  directions,  while  its  lasting  properties  are  not  injured  hy 
the  process.  Instead  of  being  deteriorated  every  time  it  is  cleansed,  the 
leather  is  nourished,  its  strength  and  its  aspect  being  renovated.  The 
plated  ornaments,  of  course,  are  not  alluded  to  in  the  above  instructions ; 
to  polish  these,  some  prepared  chalk,  fine  brushes,  finer  than  are  generally 
employed,  and  a  wash  leather  are  imperative. 

An  inefficient  groom  is,  perhaps,  more  readily  detected  by  his  manner 
of  cleaning  harness  than  by  any  other  stable  operation.  Practice  alone 
confers  aptitude  in  handling  the  various  pieces.  Use  enables  the  dif- 
ferent articles  to  be  rendered  smart  without  staining  the  flesh  or  soiling 
the  dress  of  the  operator.  When  the  servant  is  new  to  the  occupation, 
particular  portions  are  invariably  scamped ;  others  get  more  than  the 
requisite  attention.  Certain  of  the  ornaments  are  left  with  the  crevices 
full  of  powder,  while  some  parts  are  wholly  neglected ;  but,  above  all, 
the  linings  to  the  various  pieces  are  always  smeared  and  impressed  with 
dirty  finger-marks.  A  good  groom  apparently  will  not  trouble  himself 
to  avoid  such  errors,  but,  when  he  has  finished,  each  portion  is  equally 
clean,  while  the  insides  are  untainted  and  free  from  the  smallest  soil. 

The  linings  should  be  cleansed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  other  parts, 
only  the  blacking  and  the  polishing  are  unnecessary.  In  most  situations, 
leather  is  employed  to  cover  the  under  surface ;  where  this  substance  is 
present,  no  beating  is  then  required.  Where  cloth  is  used,  as  in  the 
lining  of  a  saddle  pannel,  this  should  be  daily  beaten  with  a  small  cane, 
and  subsequently  brushed  till  all  hairs  and  dust  are  removed.  J'he  bad 
servant  invariably  strives  to  hide  his  laziness  under  a  pretense  of  exces- 
sive zeal  for  his  master's  interest.  When  ordered  to  attend  to  the  lining 
of  his  harness,  he  will  endeavor  to  escape  from  the  command  by  pleading 
the  wear  which  attends  the  constant  friction  occasioned  by  continual 
beating  and  by  perpetual  brushing. 

A  collar  placed  on  the  horse  should  be  firm,  falling  easily  into  its 
proper  situation.  It  is  stuffed  with  straw  or  flock,  and  is  lined  with 
leather.  That  the  lining  may  not  be  stretched  and  that  the  stuffing  may 
not  be  hardened  in  parts  but  may  feel  equally  firm  upon  every  portion  of 
its  inner  surface,  the  article  should  never  be  used  when  moist,  even  in  the 
remotest  degree.  When  removed  in  a  wet  state,  it  should  be  dried 
either  in  the  sun  or  before  the  kitchen  fire,  prior  to  again  being  taken 
into  service.  When  doing  this,  of  course  the  nature  of  the  material 
should  be  considered ;  it  should  only  be  exposed  to  such  a  heat  as  will 


506 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


cause  the  moisture  to  evaporate,  and  if  that  end  can  be  attained  by  a 
brisk  current  of  air  in  a  shady  place,  such  a  situation  is  to  be  very  much 
preferred  to  any  natural  or  to  any  artificial  warmth. 

The  collar  should  pass  into  its  situation  without  requiring  the  force 
which  careless  grooms  seem  to  delight  in  exerting,  or  ignorant  servants, 
possibly,  may  regard  as  necessary  to  the  proper  fulfillment  of  their 
duties.  Any  violence,  when  daily  repeated,  must  eventually  damage 
the  horse's  appearance  by  removing  hair  from  the  prominences  of  the 
head,  and  by  causing  the  naturally  placid  countenance  of  the  animal  to 
assume  a  worn  or  a  ragged  expression.  The  collar  should  be  turned 
when  put  over  the  face,  the  widest  part  of  the  opening  being  passed 
over  the  ears.  When  the  head  is  through,  and  before  the  article  pro- 
ceeds lower  than  the  topmost  portion  of  the  neck,  it  should  be  righted, 
or  the  pointed  part  should  occupy  the  most  elevated  situation;  after 
which  it  is  slid  down  upon  the  shoulder. 

The  collar,  when  fitted  to  the  neck,  should  sit  firmly  and  closely.  The 
bearing  should  be  equal  and  even,  because  the  entire  draught  is  from 
the  collar;  in  proportion  as  the  bearing  is  accurately  distributed,  so  the 
weight  will  be  easily  propelled.  Some  people  have  endeavored  to 
render  the  collar  more  steady  by  attaching  the  traces  to  hames  with 
double  eyes.     The  hames  are  the  metal  rods  which  repose  upon  the 


HAMES  WITH  SOVBUE  ET>8. 


A  BCROIOr-ETED  HAME. 


collar;  the  eyes  are  circular  spaces  which  permit  the  traces  to  be  united 
to  the  hames.  Though  double  fastenings  may  occasion  the  force  to  seem 
better  distributed  along  these  rods,  the  effect  must  operate  rather  upon 
the  spectator's  mind  than  upon  the  substance  it  is  meant  to  render 
stationary.  If  a  line  is  drawn  from  the  point  where  the  trace  should 
end,  and  equidistant  from  those  places  to  which  the  two  bands  are 


SADDLERT    AND    HARNESS. 


607 


attached,  the  real  seat  of  bearing  will  prove  not  to  have  been  changed 
by  the  angularity  of  the  fastenings,  but  will  either  remain  confined  to  its 
original  situation,  or  it  may  act  only  on  one  fastening  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  other.  That  which  is  known  as  a  scroll  eye,  however,  is  more 
elegant  than  the  plain  attachment,  and  on  account  of  its  smartness 
deserves  to  be  preferred. 

A  breast-collar,  when  the  circumstances  permit  a  free  exercise  of 
selection,  should  never  be  adopted.  It  may,  in  the  eye  of  inexperience, 
look  prettier;  but  it  goes  directly  across  a  part  of  motion;  it  drags 
against  the  muscles,  which,  being  loose  in  structure,  are  not  made  to 
endure  continual  pressure.  Moreover,  the  cartilage  of  the  chest  moves 
with  each  respiration ;  any  force  operating  from  without,  therefore,  can- 
not but  oppose  this  normal  action. 
Besides,  the  chief  component  of  the 
chest,  the  terminations  of  the  ribs, 
which  are  inserted  into  the  sternum, 
are  also  cartilaginous.  Now,  carti- 
lage is  highly  plastic,  and  readily  as- 
sumes strange  shapes,  as  is  seen  by 
the  larynx  when  distorted  by  the 
bearing-rein.  (See  "  Illustrated  Horse 
Doctor,"  pp,  108,  109.)  Whereas, 
when  the  collar  bears  against  the  shoulder,  it  is  supported  by  solid  bone, 
as  firm  and  as  compact  as  can  be  found  in  most  structures  throughout  the 
body. 

However,  when  accident  or  disease  makes  it  impossible  to  continue 
the  employment  of  a  collar,  the  breast-strap,  although  in  itself  an  evil, 
becomes  the  only  substitute. 


A  BREAST-COLLAB  OR   STRAP 


A  MOTABUS  Ain>  A  nZJBD  BIHO  rOB  THX  BIIRS  TO  PASS  THBODGH, 


There  is  connected  with  the  hame  a  simple  arrangement,  about  which 
neither  gentlemen  nor  makers  are  always  sufficiently  particular.     The 


508 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


reins  are  supported  in  their  proper  position  by  passing  through  a  ring  or 
ferret,  which  is  generally  fixed  upon  the  hames.  Should  the  horse,  thus 
caparisoned,  accidentally  fall,  the  loop,  being  immovable,  is  either  bent 
out  of  all  shape,  or,  more  probably,  it  is  broken  short  off  by  the  weight 
of  the  prostrate  animal.  It  may  be  replied,  that  horse  collars  are  not, 
when  manufactured,  made  to  be  violently  driven  against  stones.  The 
writer  does  not  contradict  the  assertion ;  but  when  a  hinge  will  not  in- 
terfere with  the  aspect,  and,  by  yielding  to  pressure,  will  guard  agains-t 
a  possible  mischance,  the  little  extra  labor  which  the  addition  would 
require  assuredly  could  not  be  better  expended. 


The  principal  portions  of  the  harness  having  been  considered,  some 
thought  must  now  be  bestowed  upon  the  chief  essentials  of  saddlery. 
A  good  saddle,  intended  to  please  the  majority  of  horsemen,  should  be 
seventeen  and  a  half  or  eighteen  inches  long,  the  length  being  regulated 
by  the  shape  of  the  animal.  It  is,  of  course,  equally  easy  to  manufac- 
ture a  saddle  of  any  given  proportions ;  but  one  of  a  sound  working  and 
a  thoroughly  useful  sort  should  not  be  much  shorter,  and  should  weigh 
from  ten  to  twelve  pounds.  Such  things  have  been  produced  of  seven 
pounds  weight.  Were  it  desirable,  the  saddle  could  be  made  much 
lighter  even  than  the  last  figure  represents ;  the  article  at  present  under 
consideration  is  supposed  to  be  of  a  lasting  description,  and  not  of  the 
fanciful  kind.  When  gentlemen  lay  down  rules  which  the  manufacturer 
is  to  observe,  they  should  remember  that  the  tradesman,  who  merely 
carries  out  his  employer's  ideas,  and  is  not  permitted  to  obey  his  own 
convictions,  is  no  longer  responsible  for  results. 

A  broad  seat  is  generally  preferred.     This  should  not  be  so  wide  as 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  509 

to  disable  the  grip  of  the  rider ;  but  it  ought  to  be  of  no  greater  dimen- 
sions than  will  allow  a  firm  hold  to  be  taken  by  the  fleshy  part  of  the 
thigh.  Every  saddle  has  two  girths,  but  all  girths  have  not  three  straps- 
These  should  always  be  present;  because  if  one  strap  should  break, 
another  is  ready  to  supply  its  place.  It  vexes  most  keen  sportsmen, 
near  the  termination  of  a  hard  run,  to  lose  a  good  place  because,  strained 
by  the  accelerated  action  of  the  horse's  lungs,  a  girth  strap  shall,  when 
excitement  is  at  its  height,  give  way. 

To  avoid  so  irritating  an  accident,  the  hunting  or  the  Melton  girth  is 
now  commonly  employed.  This  consists  of  a  broad  webbing,  which  is 
tightened  by  two  straps,  one  at  either  margin.  Over  the  main  girth 
there  runs  a  narrower  length  of  the  same  material,  which  is  kept  m  its 
situation  by  passing  through  two  loops  upon  the  principal  binder.  The 
narrower  webbing  is  fastened  by  means  of  the  third  or  central  strap. 
Thus,  should  one  of  the  fastenings  of  the  chief  girth  yield,  or  even  should 
both  be  forced  from  their  holds,  the  saddle  will  not  necessarily  be  dis- 
placed, as  there  is  always  a  supernumerary  guard  in  attendance  ready 
to  ofl&ciate  as  the  representative  of  its  incapacitated  principals. 


CHUPPER,  MELTON  GIRTH,  AND   MABTINOALE. 

Cruppers  are  generally  discarded.  These  appendages  have  occasioned 
terrible  sores,  and  are  of  no  actual  utility  to  the  retention  of  the  saddle ; 
for  the  withers  should  prevent  that  convenience  from  moving  too  for- 
ward. A  martingale  is  occasionally  used ;  but  if  the  animal  be  rightly 
formed  for  its  purposes,  and  has  been  carefully  broken  in,  the  head  should 
be  carried  properly  without  necessitating  compulsion.  The  mouth  is 
soon  injured  and  loses  its  sensitiveness  when  a  tight  rein  is  constantly 


510  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

in  requisition  to  bring  the  muzzle  into  its  proper  situation.  When  the 
lipa  are  subjected  to  perpetual  pressure  it  can  hardly  be  anticipated  that 
the  steed  can  obey  the  slightest  movement  of  the  rider's  hand.  Most 
people  are  vexed  when  obliged  to  tug  and  haul  every  time  it  is  desired 
the  animal  should  deviate  from  the  direct  course. 

Once  the  spring  stirrup  was  hailed  as  a  marvelous  invention  and  an 
indispensable  part  of  every  good  saddle.  This  was  designed  to  release 
the  foot  of  a  rider  who  had  lost  his  seat.  Such  things  were  very  pretty 
toys.  They  acted  beautifully  in  the  chamber  when  first  taken  out  of 
paper,  but,  when  exposed  to  use,  these  elegant  precautions  soon  got  out 
of  order.  Dirt  would  work  into  the  joint  and  would  interfere  with  the 
mechanism,  which  thus  became  useless  at  the  very  time  its  services  were 
likely  to  be  required.  After  a  hard  gallop  the  joint  could  not  be  other- 
wise than  clogged,  especially  when  the  run  was  across  country.  There- 
fore the  spring  stirrup  has  been  displaced  in  public  estimation  by  the 
spring  bar.  This  last  is  the  newer  and  the  less  costly  provision,  the 
spring  being  attached  to  the  bar  which  supports  the  stirrup  leather. 


SPKING  BAR  FOR.  THE   STIRRUP   LEATHER  AND   SPRING   STIRRUP.      BOTH  BEING  EXHIBITED  DURING  EEST 
AND   WHEN  IN   ACTION. 

The  situation  where  the  machinery  is  lodged  protects  it  from  dirt,  from 
wet,  or  from  dust,  being  doubly  sheltered  from  all  such  intrusion.  It  is 
covered  by  the  skirt  of  the  saddle,  and  is  likewise  shielded  by  the  thigh 
of  the  rider.  The  article  thus  placed  is  removed  from  the  operation  of 
that  objection  which  has  thrown  the  spring  stirrup  into  disuse.  The 
purpose  of  both  inventions  is  equal,  being  exactly  similar.  When  the 
rider  was  unseated,  the  stirrup  was  intended  to  yield  before  the  drag  of 
the  imprisoned  foot.  When  the  horseman  is  thrown,  the  smallest  trac- 
tion does  occasion  the  spring  bar  to  act,  and  the  leather  is  released,  the 
limb  forcing  the  stirrup  iron  and  the  leather  to  quit  their  relative  situa- 
tions. 

The  stirrup  iron  was  formerly  made  of  various  shapes,  each  of  which 
was  imagined  to  possess  some  special  advantage.  At  present,  however, 
the  public  appear  to  disregard  peculiarities  of  form  in  such  articles,  and 
to  pay  no  attention  to  those  contortions  concerning  which  our  forefathers 
were  so  extremely  precise.     It  is  now  considered  quite  sufficient  if  the 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


511 


stirrup  iron  afford  a  firm  rest  to  the  foot  of  the  rider,  if  it  be  not  disposed 
to  glide  away  from  the  pressure  of  the  boot,  and  if  it  be  as  light  as  pos- 
sible, but  nevertheless  possesses  the  strength  necessary  for  its  purposes. 
All  these  intentions  are  embodied  in  a  plain,  three-barred  stirrup  iron, 
which  presents  an  ample  surface  of  bearing,  while,  being  slightly  rough- 
ened upon  its  upper  surface,  it  is  readily  retained  by  pressure ;  but  for 
the  strength  of  the  article  the  respectability  of  the  salesman  must  afford 
the  only  possible  guarantee. 

Also  appended  to  the  saddle  is  an  adjunct  frequently  of  no  inconsid- 
erable utility  in  the  field.  It  is  comparatively  of  modern  invention,  and 
is  known  as  the  hunting  breast-plate.  One  extremity  is  attached  by 
means  of  a  hold  to  each  side  of  the  saddle,  near  to  the  pommel.  The 
straps  proceeding  thence  are  short,  and  soon  unite,  when  the  medium  of 
junction  proceeds  to  the  chest.  The  two  leathers,  one  from  either  side, 
are  there  joined  to  a  single  strap,  which,  after  passing  between  the  fore- 
legs, is  finally  attached  to  the  girth.  The  intention  of  this  addition  is 
to  retain  the  saddle  in  its  proper  situation,  an  object  not  always  easy  to 
accomplish  even  with  this  provision,  as  high  withers  and  violent  mus- 
cular exertion  naturally  incline  to  its  backward  movement. 


&  HUNTINQ  BREAST-PLATB. 


The  breast-plate,  for  the  full  development  of  its  use,  necessitates  much 
care  in  the  groom  when  caparisoning  the  quadruped.  The  two  short 
upper  straps,  on  which  all  stress  must  center,  join  directly  under  the 
windpipe.  Because  of  this  all  parts  necessitate  the  most  accurate  adjust- 
ment ;  where  a  breast-plate  is  used,  the  servant  should  particularly  notice 


512  ^  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

the  position  of  the  girth  when  securing  the  fastening.  If  the  leather 
should  be  loose  or  even  slack,  the  backward*  motion  of  the  saddle  will 
of  course  dispose  the  two  side  pieces  to  assume  the  straight  line,  or  it 
will  force  their  junction  upward  as  well  as  render  its  pressure  more  strin- 
gent. The  consequence  will  be,  the  strap  must  press  upon  the  trachea 
and  blood-vessels ;  the  animal  may  be  choked,  and  the  hunting  of  one 
day  spoiled,  even  should  the  rider  and  his  horse  ultimately  escape  all 
injury. 

The  upper  reins  of  the  martingale  are  sometimes  made  to  spring  from 
the  center  fastening  of  the  breast-plate.  But  the  use  of  the  martingale 
is  to  force  the  head  downward.  To  do  this  requires  a  firm  hand  and 
a  straight  rein,  which  consequently  pulls  the  restraining  strap  of  the 
breast-plate  upward,  and  thus  destroys  the  purpose  of  the  last  invention. 
The  two  articles  are,  in  their  uses,  perfectly  distinct ;  such  things  cannot 
be  profitably  blended.  The  martingale  is  designed  to  counteract  an 
upward  traction.  The  fastening  of  the  breast-plate  should  drag  only  in 
the  downward  line,  whereas  the  head  strains  in  the  contrary  direction. 
When  a  martingale  cannot  be  dispensed  with,  one  should  be  worn  totally 
distinct  and  separate  from  the  breast -plate.  It  is,  however,  always 
desirable  to  join  the  meet  with  as  few  floating  gear  as  possible ;  since, 
when  the  pace  grows  hot  and  the  fences  are  high,  such  loops  are  little 
better  than  baits  for  accident. 

A  good  addition  to  the  saddle,  and  one  no  rider  should  be  without, 
was  introduced  into  this  country  by  Messrs.  Gibson.     It  was  originally 

used  in  India,  where  its  utility  was 
largely  tested,  and  amply  proved  by  the 
British  cavalry.  This  improvement  con- 
sists of  a  felt  under-pannel ;  which  is 
made  of  such  dimensions  as  to  be  per- 
fectly concealed  when  lying  between  the 
FELT  UNDEE-PAMNEL.  panucl  aud  the  skin.     As  an  adjusting 

medium  it  answers  admirably.  Should 
the  saddle  not  exactly  fit,  the  motion  chafes  the  felt,  and  does  not  gall 
the  body.  Besides,  horses  are  not,  more  than  their  masters,  of  the  same 
size  at  all  times ;  the  felt,  being  elastic,  allows  of  slight  variations  in 
bulk  without  imperiling  the  safety  of  the  proprietor. 

The  felt  under-pannel  should  always  be  used  whenever  a  side-saddle 
is  employed ;  it  renders  the  adjustment  more  easy,  and  makes  it  more 
secure.  Such  an  advantage  cannot  always  be  attained,  even  with  the 
extra  girth,  with  which  all  side-saddles  should  be  provided.  Every 
possible  care  ought  to  be  exercised  that  the  seat  of  a  lady's  saddle  may 
be  rendered  firm ;  because,  as  the  make  throws  the  bearing  upon  the 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


513 


near  side,  and  the  fixedness  of  the  position  must  incapacitate  the  lady 
for  freedom  of  action,  therefore  any  movement  of  the  saddle  is  likely  to 
be  attended  by  serious  consequences. 


A  lady's  stirrup  with  the  knee  crutch  and  the  victoria  stirrup. 


For  the  foregoing  reasons,  the  maker  should  bestow  the  greatest  atten- 
tion upon  the  shape  of  the  saddle-tree ;  no  artifice  should  be  neglected 
that  is  calculated  to  render  the  side-saddle  more  fixed  upon  the  horse's 
back.  The  seat  should  be  longer  as  well  as  broader  than  is  usual  in 
those  articles  which  are  manufactured  to  sell  quickly  and  to  look  pret- 
tily. It  should  be  covered  with  soft,  unpolished  leather,  and  be  quilted, 
so  that  its  partial  roughness  and  trivial  inequalities  may  present  a  more 
secure  and  an  easier  seat  for  the  fair  equestrian. 

Every  aid  would,  however,  be  useless,  were  it  not  for  the  crutches. 
The  female  rider  must  cast  her  bearing  upon  the  near  crutch;  hence 
horses,  when  forced  to  work  under  an  ill-made  side-saddle,  often  sufi'er 
terribly,  and  exhibit  as  the  consequence  severe  examples  of  fistulous 
withers.  Experience  has  proved  that  the  ofi'  crutch  is  of  small  service, 
save  as  it  may  confirm  the  confidence  of  the  lady;  although,  by  render- 
ing the  leg  more  stationary,  it  is  in  reality  calculated  to  increase  her 
danger.  Its  utility  lies  in  calming  the  timidity  of  the  horsewoman ;  for 
the  instant  a  horse  gets  into  motion,  the  bearing  is  entirely  toward  the 
near  side ;  therefore  most  modern  saddlers,  although  they  dare  not  re- 
move the  useless  crutch,  have  its  height  materially  diminished. 

The  third  or  knee  crutch  is  a  comparatively  recent  improvement.     It 

33 


514 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


offers  a  point  for  pressure  to  the  left  knee,  or  of  bearing  for  the  stirrup 
leg.  It  is  of  every  service,  enabling  the  lady  to  retain  a  firm  seal. 
During  the  perils  of  leaping  it  prevents  the  lighter  weight  of  the  female 
body  being,  by  the  violence  of  the  motion,  so  shaken  as  to  lose  all  hold 
upon  the  upper  crutches.  Thus,  in  some  degree,  it  compensates  for  the 
advantage  that  gentlemen  enjoy  in  the  grip  which  their  position  enables 
them  to  take  of  the  saddle. 


THE  ladies'    patent   STIRRUP.      EXHIBITED   AT  BEST    AND   IN   ACTION. 


The  slipper  was  the  favorite  stirrup  in  use  with  the  side-saddle  a  few 
years  ago.  Its  adoption  then  was  all  but  universal,  and  so  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  its  rejection.  The  Yictoria  stirrup,  or  an  iron  of  the  shape 
which  is  adopted  by  Her  Majesty,  now  engrosses  public  patronage ;  it 
being  generally  employed,  with  the  addition  of  the  previously  noticed 
spring  bar. 

The  patent  stirrup  for  ladies  is  not  liable  to  those  objections  which 
were  urged  against  the  spring  stirrup,  when  employed  for  the  saddles  of 
gentlemen.  The  habit  protects  the  machinery,  which  is  not  therefore 
exposed  to  the  intrusion  of  mud.  Its  action  is  almost  certain;  but, 
should  it  not  answer  the  occasion,  the  next  invention,  when  employed 
with  the  foregoing  provision,  would  probably  set  the  malice  of  "luck" 
at  defiance. 

The  following  should  also  be  appended  to  every  lady's  saddle.  Male 
equestrians  may  esteem  the  spring  bar  to  afford  the  gentle  sex  sufficient 
protection.  However,  where  there  is  a  possibility  of  question,  no  ex- 
pense ought  to  prevent  the  more  fearful  rider  from  being  guarded  by  the 
latest  additions,  which  may  promise  even  the  remotest  chance  of  security. 
The  common  spring  bar  rarely  fails  to  act ;  but,  on  particular  occasions, 
it  has  retained  the  stirrup  leather.  The  patented  improvement  shown 
on  the  next  page  appears  to  provide  against  such  an  accident,  and  when 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


515 


employed  with  the  stirrup  represented  in  the  previous  engraving,  it  as- 
suredly affords  an  almost  certain  immunity  from  those  accidents  which 
each  is  assumed  to  render  an  impossibility. 


PATENT  SAFETY  SPBINQ   PRESSURE   STIRRUP  BAR.     DEPICTED  AT  BEST    AND  IN  ACTION. 

The  dotted  lines  indicate  the  relative  positions  of  the  stirrup  leather. 

No  lady's  saddle  should  be  used  without  being  accompanied  by  the 
hunting  breast-plate ;  for  nothing  which  might  possibly  increase  security 
should  in  that  case  be  neglected.  For  the  last  reason,  also,  a  felt  under- 
pannel  should  never  be  absent ;  because  firmness  of  seat  lends  assurance 
to  the  rider,  and  because  the  provision  prevents  that  unsteadiness 
which  is  known  to  provoke  one  of  the  worst  evils  to  which  the  horse  is 
exposed. 

Saddles  are  covered  by  what  the  public  denominate  pigs'  skins,  but 
which  the  trade,  aiming  at  a  distinction  without  being  able  to  indicate  a 
difference,  persist  in  calling  hogs'  skins. 

These  are  always  procured  from  the  currier  in  large  lots  when  pur- 
chased at  first  hand ;  but  they  are  a  hazardous  article  to  buy.  Out  of 
two  hundred,  of  which  a  parcel  shall  consist,  there  may  not  be  more  than 
two  dozen  really  sound  skins ;  therefore  no  tradesman  has  hitherto  been 
able  to  establish  a  reputation  for  dealing  in  so  uncertain  a  commodity. 
The  wholesale  merchant,  consequently,  knows  but  few  customers  Estab- 
lished houses  alone  can  afford  the  requisite  outlay  to  obtain  goods  of  so 
notoriously  uncertain  a  character.  From  the  larger  parcels  the  best 
specimens  are  carefully  selected  by  the  first  buyer;  the  remainder  are 
cast  upon  the  retail  market,  and  are  distributed  among  the  numerous 
class  of  trades-people,  whose  limited  capital  does  not  allow  them  to 
speculate  with  the  articles  which  they  employ. 

A  good  saddle  is  recognized  by  the  accuracy  of  the  fit.  When  let  fall 
upon  the  back,  it  at  once  finds  the  proper  situation.  There  it  remains 
stationary  and  firm  before  a  girth  is  fastened.  When  the  maker,  having 
brought  home  a  new  article,  finds  occasion  to  interfere  vi  ith  the  jiroom, 


516  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

shifts  about  the  saddle,  and  concludes  his  performauee  by  tugging  at  tne 
girths  before  he  requests  the  employer  to  feel  how  firmly  the  new  pro- 
duction is  located,  it  is  always  an  evil  omen.  The  saddler,  supposing 
the  groom  to  be  competent  to  his  position,  should  never  be  suffered  to 
volunteer  assistance;  the  horse  owner  had  better  ride  bare-backed  than 
be  seated  on  a  badly-constructed  saddle,  for  the  last  is  hardly  less  un- 
pleasant to  a  good  horseman,  while  the  first  is  infinitely  more  safe  for 
the  rider  and  the  quadruped. 

A  good  fit  presupposes  excellent  workmen,  and  of  course  the  larger 
houses  attract  the  greater  number  of  such  artificers,  because  in  such 
shops  men  expect  to  be  employed  on  that  particular  branch  of  work  in 
which  each  excels.  Such  masters,  likewise,  can  afi"ord  to  pay  the  highest 
rate  of  wages,  and  can  alone  tempt  with  constant  employment.  Add  to 
these  reasons  that  money  in  the  saddlery  and  harness  trades  commands 
rather  more  than  its  just  influence,  being  able  to  select  the  pick  of  every 
market,  and  it  must  be  apparent  how  many  advantages  the  established 
firm  enjoys  over  the  ordinary  beginner,  who  has  to  struggle  against  the 
lack  of  pecuniary  ability,  against  a  want  of  regular  customers,  and  against 
those  difficulties  which  are  peculiar  to  his  calling. 

Hogs'  skins  are  easily  cleansed  by  washing  quickly  with  a  little  soap 
and  water ;  but  washing  and  drenching  are  not  here  regarded  as  repre- 
senting the  same  process.  Water  is  not  beneficial  to  leather  of  any  sort, 
therefore  as  little  fluid  as  will  accomplish  the  object  should  be  used;  the 
more  speedy  the  operation  the  better.  It  should  be  concluded  by  a  clean 
cloth  immediately  wiping  the  surface  quite  dry.  This  finished,  a  sponge 
damped  with  good  milk  should  be  passed  over  the  exterior ;  the  saddle 
then  should  be  hung  up  (not  before  the  fire  or  in  the  sunshine)  to  expel 
the  moisture.  The  more  seldom,  however,  this  process  is  adopted  the 
better ;  consequently,  it  is  only  to  be  recommended  upon  urgent  necessity. 

Bridles,  and  every  strip  of  harness  which  bears  the  slightest  resem- 
blance to  a  rein,  should  be  cut  only  from  the  best,  the  strongest,  and  the 
choicest  of  English  leather.  Struggling  tradesmen  do  not  all  possess 
the  ability,  however  powerful  may  be  the  desire,  to  exercise  selection  in 
this  article.  Some  have  sent  forth  reins  made  of  so  faulty  a  material  as 
stood  exposed  the  moment  it  encountered  the  glance  of  a  practical  or  an 
educated  eye.  The  head-piece,  requiring  shorter  straps,  may  possibly 
be  cut  from  a  partially  imperfect  hide ;  but  for  the  reins,  length  and  tough- 
ness are  essential.  The  merest  crack  will,  with  constant  wear,  become 
a  fissure ;  and  no  horseman  can  foretell  the  moment  when  personal  safety 
shall  depend  upon  the  power  which  he  shall  be  able  to  exert  through 
the  reins. 

A  fair  proportion  of  the  injuries  which  happen  to  riders  or  to  drivers 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS.  517 

are  aggravated  by  faulty  reins.  A  contest  arises  between  a  restive  liorse 
and  an  intemperate  master.  The  contest,  which  from  the  earliest  period 
alarmed  timidity  in  the  animal,  has  just  excited  the  man,  when  the  reins 
fly  asunder.  The  scared  quadruped  finds  itself  suddenly  released.  The 
creature  understands  nothing  of  the  cause ;  but  the  first  impulse  natural 
to  fear  is  to  fly  from  the  presence  of  the  power  against  which  it  has  been 
struggling.  Whenever  the  horse  displeases  its  master,  pain  inflicted  by 
whip,  bit,  or  spur  generally  ensues  as  a  natural  consequence.  It  is  from 
such  torture  that  the  poor  life  endeavors  to  escape.  Motion  increases  its 
terror  as  the  unshackled  being  dashes  blindly  onward.  An  accident  is 
the  probable  result.  The  coroner  and  the  jury  assemble ;  a  verdict,  which 
all  approve,  is  formally  delivered ;  but  no  one  thinks  of  inspecting  the 
reins  to  discover  the  real  cause  of  injury. 

Reins  should  always  be  attentively  examined.  If  good,  they  look 
pleasant  to  the  eye,  and  are  yielding  to  the  touch.  Any  roughness, 
harshness,  or  hardness  denotes  the  presence  of  defective  leather.  It 
may  not  break  to-morrow  or  the  next  day,  but  before  long  the  rein  will 
separate.  The  slightest  indication  of  a  crack  will  gradually  become  an 
extensive  division.  Messrs.  Gibson  have  often  been  honored  with  com- 
mands to  export  reins,  the  foreign  leather  being  harsh  and  inelastic, 
therefore  feeling  unpleasant  to  English  hands ;  but  more  frequently  the 
natives  of  this  country  are  afraid  to  employ  reins  exhibiting  innumerable 
cracks,  everywhere  displaying  the  roughness  which  should  not  exist, 
and  being  totally  deficient  in  the  suppleness  which  ought  to  be  abund- 
antly present. 

When  reins  are  intended  for  the  use  of  ladies,  their  character  should 
be  unexceptionable.  Many  girls,  before  they  have  conquered  the  seat, 
depend,  in  no  slight  degree,  upon  the  reins 
for  retaining  their  positions  in  the  saddle. 
They  of  course  understand  nothing  about 
saddlery.  They  accept  anything  which  is 
offered ;  but  the  sudden  snapping  of  the  reins 
always  terrifies  the  steed,  while  it  greatly 
alarms  the  gentle  being  on  its  back,  whose 
fears  are  increased  by  finding  herself  instan- 
taneously deprived  of  a  support  on  which 
her  inexperience  had  depended.  Ladies' 
reins,  being  made  lighter,  should  be  cut  from 
better  leather  than  those  intended  for  gen-  ^  lady's  bridle. 

tlemen ;  if  there  be  a  possible  choice,  it  should 

be  accorded  to  the  weaker  party.  Some  horsewomen  like  the  reins  and 
the  head-piece  to  be  formed  of  rounded  straps.     Thus  made,  they  cer 


518  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

tainly  have  a  lighter  and  a  more  graceful  appearance ;  but  Messrs.  Gib- 
son do  not  recommend  such  a  form  of  bridle  to  those  ladies  who  delight 
in  mounting  and  in  subduing  high-spirited  animals. 

Martingales  are  generally  complained  of  as  troublesome  appendages 
when  added  to  the  trappings  of  either  the  saddle  or  of  the  gig  horse. 
These  articles,  however,  can  be  so  manufactured  as  to  lend  a  dignity  to 
the  quadrupeds  which  run  before  carriages ;  though,  where  a  martingale 
is  used,  the  bearing-rein  becomes  unnecessary,  since  both  restraints  aim 
at  the  same  object.  Perhaps  of  the  two,  the  martingale  is  the  better, 
because,  while  obliging  the  head  to  be  held  in  the  proper  position,  it 
enables  the  coachman,  by  slackening  the  reins,  to  rest  the  muscles  of  the 
neck  when  the  vehicle  pauses.  The  martingale  certainly  requires  the 
better  driver,  and  imposes  the  greater  exertion  upon  him  who  drives, 
the  latter  circumstance  being  likely  to  interfere  with  the  digestive 
serenity  of  most  servants. 

There  is,  however,  one  species  of  martingale,  without  which  few  ladies' 
saddles  appear  to  be  fully  equipped.  Some 
animals  necessitate  no  restraint  to  improve 
the  carriage  of  the  head,  but  these,  neverthe- 
less, acquire  a  habit  of  throwing  the  muzzle 
suddenly  up  and  of  jerking  the  foam  from 
the  lips  into  the  face  of  the  rider.  This  pro- 
pensity communicates  no  pleasure  to  the 
person  who  occupies  the  seat.  It  generally 
causes  the  equestrian  to  lower  the  head 
whenever  the  quadruped  evinces  a  disposi- 
A  PEENOH  MAETiNOALE.  tlou  to  cxalt  Its  countcnauce ;  such  being  the 

precise  moment  when  the  human  vision  is  of 
double  value ;  for  th€  eye  of  the  horse,  being  direct  heavenward,  can  then 
take  no  cognizance  of  earthly  objects;  hence  the  great  need  for  the 
guidance  of  the  rider. 

To  correct  this,  the  French  martingale,  which  consists  of  a  single 
strap,  is  attached  to  the  nose  band.  The  band  passes  over  the  nasal 
bones,  and  under  the  forward  part  of  the  lower  jaw.  To  the  lowest  part 
of  this  band  the  French  martingale  is  fixed.  The  operation  is  obvious. 
The  horse,  by  raismg  the  head,  causes  the  martingale  to  act  on  the  bridle : 
the  nostrils  are  compressed ;  the  breathing  is  interfered  with ;  and,  as 
the  quadruped  resents  the  slightest  hinderance  to  its  respiration,  the 
fruitless  effort  to  indulge  an  obnoxious  habit  is  relinquished,  so  that  the 
annoyance  of  the  tightened  nose  band  may  be  avoided.  French  martin- 
gales, which  were  once  largely  in  use,  are  now  never  employed  with  a 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


519 


gentleman's  saddle,  although  they  have  not  been  discarded  by  eques- 
trians of  the  gentler  sex. 


BITS  USUALLY  ATTACHED  TO  LADIES'  BRIDLES. 


BUCKLED  AND  SEWN  ON, 


The  bits  which  accompany  the  ladies'  bridle  are  more  fanciful  in 
shape,  and  more  ornamental  in  appearance,  though  hardly  so  heavy  as 
the  articles  manufactured  for  the  use  of  gentle- 
men, because  the  generality  of  ladies  seldom 
resort  to  this  instrument  of  positive  torture : 
indeed,  these  severities  seem  to  be  losing  their 
attractions  over  the  harsher  natures.  Many 
men,  however,  employ  them;  most  regard  a 
bridle  as  incomplete  without  a  bit;  but  very 
few  are  so  fond  of  the  restraint  as  to  order  it 
to  be  sewn  to  the  head  piece. 

A  bit  permanently  attached  certainly  appears  lighter,  and  necessitates 
the  employment  of  less  obvious  force,  though  at  the  same  time  it  must  be 
more  acute  when  in  operation.  Nevertheless,  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether 
one  foot  passenger  out  of  ten  thousand  would  notice  the  only  peculiarity 
for  which  such  an  arrangement  is  to  be  commended.  Moreover,  every 
animal  does  not  require  the  exertion  of  extraordinary  power ;  while  the 
irremovable  character  of  the  bit  is  not  without  attendant  disadvantages. 
The  article  can  no  longer  be  changed  at  pleasure.  A  rider  may  grow 
to  dislike  the  constant  employment  of  one  form  of  coercion.  The  ani- 
mal's education  may  not  need  the  perpetuation  of  such  severity;  the 
temper  may  improve,  or  the  steed  may  accommodate  itself  to  the  per- 
sonal peculiarities  of  its  proprietor;  or  the  quadruped's  mood  may 
change,  for  horses,  like  their  masters,  are  swayed  by  strange  influences, 
and  are  sometimes  impelled  by  eccentric  impulses. 

"When  the  metal  has  to  be  washed,  cleaned,  and  polished,  should  the 
bit  be  sewn  to  the  head  piece,  the  leather  cannot  be  removed  during  the 
processes.  Water  is  not  beneficial  to  a  leathern  material ;  therefore  the 
bit  must  either  be  imperfectly  renovated,  or  the  head  piece  must  be 


520  SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 

soiled  during  the  requisite  labor  demanded  for  the  purification  of  its 
adjunct.  These  annoyances  are  avoided  when  the  bit  is  made  to  take 
on  and  off  by  the  means  of  a  buckle.  Each  part  can  then  be  properly 
attended  to  without  hazard  to  the  rest.  Should  the  bridle  not  appear 
clean,  the  owner  recognizes  a  legitimate  cause  for  complaint ;  but  when 
the  bit  is  fixed,  the  groom  has  always  ready  an  excuse  for  idleness,  while 
the  consequent  wear  will  be  found  altogether  more  rapid. 

There  are  various  kinds  of  bits,  and  each  has  its  admirers ;  but  a  well- 
broken  and  a  good-tempered  animal  requires  nothing  more  powerful  than 
a  snaffle.  Restraints  of  needless  severity,  employed  with  extravagant 
exertion,  are  by  no  means  required,  though  such  are  far  too  general  with 
the  great  majority  of  professed  horsemen.  The  animal  is  spoilt  by  such 
tuition.  It  is  educated  to  understand  nothing  but  coercion;  whereas 
gentleness  and  firmness  combined  can  accomplish  much  more  than  bru- 
tality can  compel. 

There  is  a  well-known  tale,  which,  being  illustrative  of  this  subject, 
may  here  be  aptly  quoted.  A  fai*mer,  intending  to  break  a  colt  for  sale, 
mounted  the  animal ;  but  hardly  was  he  in  the  saddle  before  the  ears 
were  laid  upon  the  neck,  and  the  frame  rendered  rigid  by  the  presence 
of  obstinacy.  The  intention  of  the  attitude  was  recognized  by  all;  but 
offers  of  stick,  whip,  or  spur  were  as  stubbornly  rejected.  "  No,  no,  no," 
replied  the  kind-hearted  proprietor  to  the  proposal  of  such  favorite  per- 
suaders. "Jane,  lass  I  bring  I  the  afternoon's  mug  and  pipe."  These 
were  discussed.  Another  pipe  was  filled  and  exhausted,  without  the 
honest  fellow  descending  to  earth.  Then  the  colt  was  invited  to  pro- 
ceed ;  but  the  humor  of  the  quadruped  continued  unaltered ;  accordingly 
it  remained  stationary,  with  the  master  on  its  back. 

"Father!  tea  is  quite  ready,"  cried  Jane,  peering  from  the  kitchen 
window.  "Bring  it  here,  lass,  for  I  shan't  get  down  1"  was  the  response. 
The  tea  was  brought  and  partaken  of.  The  day  was  drawing  toward 
its  close,  and  the  air  was  becoming  cold.  "I  should  not  mind  having 
my  great-coat,  a  pipe,  and  a  glass,"  shouted  the  farmer.  Everything 
was  brought,  and  the  man  endeavored  to  make  his  position  comfortable ; 
but  apparently  took  no  heed  of  the  creature  beneath  him.  "For,"  he 
observed,  "if  I  could  strike,  the  colt  could  fling  and  prance;  so  it  might 
not  be  certain  which  would  master ;  whereas,  while  I  be  quiet,  I've  the 
best  on't." 

Supper  was  eaten  where  the  tea  had  been  swallowed:  the  master 
showed  he  was  resolved,  unless  the  colt  moved,  to  pass  the  night  in  the 
saddle.  The  animal  became  uneasy,  and  shifted  about;  but  without 
progressing  until  some  time  after  the  clock  had  struck  eleven.  Then 
the  oolt  was  suddenly  disposed  to  progress.    "  Whoy !"  shouted  its  mas- 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


521 


ter,  "you  have  stayed  so  long  to  please  yourself,  now  remain  a  little 
longer  to  pleasure  I !" 

At  length  the  rider  was  disposed  to  move,  but  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion to  that  which  the  colt  was  inclined  to  travel.  The  animal  was  also 
willing  to  trot  briskly,  but  the  farmer  would  sanction  nothing  faster  than 
a  walk.  Accordingly,  the  pair  slowly  moved  five  miles  out,  and  trotted 
five  miles  home.  Then  the  quadruped  was  placed  before  an  empty 
manger,  and  left,  tired  and  hungry,  to  its  night's  meditations  on  the  evils 
of  disobedience.  The  above  narrative,  of  course,  concludes  by  stating 
that  the  animal  proved  docile  "  forever  afterward. " 

The  obvious  intention  of  the  above  is  to  discourage  the  employment 
of  force.  The  strongest  man  cannot  physically  contend  against  the 
weakest  horse.  Man's  power  reposes  in  better  attributes  than  any 
which  reside  in  thews  and  muscles.  E,eason,  alone,  should  dictate  and 
control  his  conduct.  Thus  guided,  mortals  have  subdued  the  elements. 
For  power,  when  mental,  is  without  limit :  by  savage  violence  nothing 
is  attained,  but  the  man  is  often  humbled  through  a  conviction  of 
defeat. 


A  PLAIN  SNAFrLE. 


A  T-WlflTED  SNAFFLE. 


A   CHAIN   SNAFFLE. 


Every  species  of  bit  is  evidence  of  a  human  mistake,  and  the  wrench 
which  it  can  exert  is  only  the  measure  of  the  error.  Many  valuable 
animals  are  annually  ruined,  under  a  prejudiced  notion  about  subduing 
a  stubborn  spirit.    The  horse  is  bom  submissive.    It  by  nature  acknowl* 


522 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


edges  the  superiority  of  man.  When  the  animal  refuses  to  obey,  the 
disobedience  only  expresses  the  creature's  ignorance  of  the  desires  of  its 
master;  or  declares  the  presence  of  some  more  potent  influence  than 
human  authority.  In  either  case,  patience  is  the  best  remedy.  Let  the 
rider  be  passive  until  the  slow  understanding  of  the  quadruped  compre- 
hends his  pleasure ;  or  until  a  sufficient  pause  has  destroyed  the  spell 
by  which  the  servant  was  enthralled.  Pat  the  neck ;  speak  encourag- 
ingly to  the  alarmed  timidity.  Then  gently  walk  the  fearful  life  a  few 
steps.  In  shorter  time,  with  less  trouble  and  with  far  greater  safety, 
will  such  measures  restore  composure,  than  violence  possibly  can  compel 
submission ;  upon  recovery,  the  acknowledgment  of  the  master's  sway 
will  be  revived  and  strengthened  by  that  sense  of  gratitude  which,  in 
animals,  reason  is  powerless  to  pervert. 

The  snaffle  is  the  gentlest  indicator  which  the  bridle  possesses.  It  is 
generally  sold  in  two  forms— either  plain  or  twisted.  The  latter  sup- 
posed improvement  renders  its  action  upon  the  lips  more  sharp,  the 
sharpness  being  proportioned  to  the  fineness  of  the  twist.  The  chain 
snaffle  is,  however,  still  more  terrible  in  its  operation,  and  is  certainly 
better  calculated  to  punish  than  to  guide.  A  plain  snaffle  is,  therefore, 
much  to  be  preferred,  the  fact  being  well  illustrated  by  the  circumstance 
that  the  gentlemen  who  depend  upon  the  milder  species  of  check  en- 
counter fewer  accidents  than  those  riders  who  place  their  reliance  in 
such  mechanical  restraints  as  are  warranted  to  break  the  jaw-bone  of 
any  restive  animal. 


THE  HACKNEY  AND  BIRDOON  BIT. 


IHE  PELHAM  BIT. 


The  mildest  of  the  many  bits  in  general  use  is  called  the  "  Hackney." 
It  is  a  curb  bit  and  birdoon,  having  a  double  reined  bridle.  The  last  in- 
strument is,  however,  gradually  being  superseded  by  the  "  Pelham  bit," 
which  is  capable  of  creating  terrible  agony.  This  restraint  riders  com- 
monly employ  with  double  reins ;  but  it  can  be  used  with  a  single  head 


\ 


SADDLERY    AND    HARNESS. 


523 


pieoe.     In  general  it  is  manufactured  smooth  or  plain,  but  it  also  can  be 
twisted  to  any  desired  degree  of  severity. 

The  "  Hanoverian  bit,"  like  the  majority  of  imported  inventions,  is  a 
terrible  exaggeration  of  the  worst  properties 
that  once  were  thought  sufficiently  powerful. 
Its  nature  is  best  expressed  by  the  phrase 
"  hard  and  sharp,"  which  it  has  almost  solely 
appropriated.  A  horse  cannot  grasp  this 
novelty  in  its  teeth,  and  thus  render  futile 
an  unscrupulous  master's  efforts  to  punish. 
"The  Hanoverian "  enables  a  rider  to  con- 
tinue the  agony  which  may  have  driven  a 
sensitive  creature  to  the  confines  of  madness. 
As  the  sides  are  movable  at  pleasure,  it  is  esteemed  to  be  an  admirable 
check  for  a  pulling  quadruped. 


THE  ELiNOTEEIAN  BIT. 


THE   8E0UND0  BIT 


THE  CHIFFNET  BIT. 


Should  none  of  the  foregoing  embody  the  desires  of  some  desperate 
horseman,  there  remains  another,  which  is  an  ugly  thing  to  be  put  into 
a  living  mouth ;  it  is  called  the  "  Segundo  bit,"  and  is  the  most  barbarous 
of  all  the  cruelties  in  general  use.  It  is  manufactured  of  three  sizes ; 
the  longest  of  which  enables  any  Christian  gentleman  to  inflict  the  most 
lively  torture  upon  the  meekest  of  living  creatures. 

The  "Chiffney  bit"  was  once  highly  esteemed,  and,  assuredly,  was 
fully  equal  to  its  pretensions ;  but  it  seems  lately  to  have  sunk  low  in 
public  favor.  The  "  Sliding  Mouth  bit "  is  the  last  invention  of  this 
kind.  It  is  thought  to  operate  beneficially  upon  animals  which  are  em- 
ployed in  harness.  The  mouth  piece  is  reversible,  having  a  rough  and 
a  smooth  side,  and  it  is  much  approved  of,  because  it  professes  to  afford 
the  horse  something  for  the  mouth  to  play  with. 

The  actions  of  the  dumb,  however,  are  easily  mistaken.  Anything 
which  pains  the  angles  of  the  mouth,  whether  it  should  be  a  roughened 


524 


CONCLUSION. 


bit  or  a  tight  bearing-rein,  will  provoke  the  horse  to  toss  the  head  into 
the  air.     This  motion  is  regarded  by  most  persons  as  evidence  of  spirit. 

and  as  signifying  a  playful  disposition ;  but  ii 
is  in  reaUty  an  effort  to  relieve  for  an  in- 
stant the  tension  which  drags  against  the  lips. 
Another  action  which  gratifies  the  majority 
of  spectators  is  to  behold  a  steed  move  the 
lips  which  are  whitened  with  foam.  Foam, 
however,  only  indicates  the  presence  of  thirst, 
and  the  reader  will,  upon  reference  to  "  Scald 
Mouth  "  in  the  previous  volume,  discover  that 
rapid  labial  motion  is  not,  in  the  horse,  char- 
acteristic of  amusement. 

Bits  of  all  sorts  are  decided  mistakes,  and 
the  blunder  is  the  greater  as  the  restraint  be- 
comes the  more  severe.  The  occasional  employment  of  such  things  is 
highly  dangerous;  their  perpetual  use  destroys  the  sensibility  of  the 
mouth.  That  continued  pain  should  deaden  feeling  is  a  wise  institution, 
kindly  ordained  to  prevent  the  sensibilities  of  this  world  becoming  the 
playthings  of  barbarity.  Nature  protects  her  creatures  from  the  inces- 
sant use  of  the  goad  by  causing  it  to  provoke  numbness  in  the  region  on 
which  torture  would  operate.  The  knowledge  of  this  law  should  instruct 
mankind  in  the  inutility  of  habitual  severity ;  while  the  conviction  that 
the  same  Tender  Parent  has,  in  madness,  ordained  a  refuge  for  sudden 
agony,  should  teach  all  people  not  to  lash  the  horse  into  that  state  which 
can  alone  render  it  truly  dangerous. 


THE   SUDING   MOUTH   BIT. 


With  the  last  sentence  the  main  subject  of  the  present  volume  hag 
concluded.  The  reader,  as  he  reviews  the  topics  which  have  been  sub- 
mitted to  his  judgment,  is  probably  surprised  to  perceive  how  little  of 
mystery  legitimately  appertains  to  the  horse,  but  how  much  its  require- 
ments accord  with  the  dictates  of  "  common  sense."  In  short,  "common 
sense  "  may  be  said  to  indicate  all  that  the  proper  comprehension  of  the 
stable  or  its  inhabitants  need  at  the  hands  of  a  proprietor. 

Yet,  is  it  not  surprising  that  society  at  large  regards  "horse  knowl- 
edge" as  a  mysterious  attainment,  to  be  gained  only  by  a  long  course  of 
actual  experience  ?  Such  a  prejudice  is  without  the  slightest  foundation. 
Antiquated  customs  and  exploded  notions  are  common  enough  in  every 
mews.  Filth  is,  in  such  places,  supposed  to  be  endowed  with  strange 
medicinal  attributes,  and  cruelty  is  patronized  as  though  the  perfection 


CONCLUSION. 


525 


of  wisdom  laid  in  the  total  absence  of  humanity.  The  horse,  as  at  pres- 
ent treated,  is  the  victim  of  ignorance,  and  is  exposed  to  every  abuse. 
Nature  and  her  dictates  are  disregarded.  The  animal  is  tortured  till  it 
submits  to  abhorrent  brutalities.  Its  instincts,  as  a  created  being,  are 
not  respected ;  neither  are  its  necessities,  as  a  living  creature,  ever  con- 
sidered. Its  welfare  is  secondary  to  the  convenience  of  the  master,  and 
its  custody  is  transferred  to  the  unscrupulous  cupidity  of  the  servant. 

'^Common  sense,^^  however,  demands  these  things  should  be  amended ; 
and  the  main  purpose  with  which  the  foregoing  pages  were  indited  was 
a  hope,  through  a  plain  statement  of  facts  and  an  appeal  to  the  reason 
of  the  public,  of  awakening  those  intrusted  with  authority  over  the 
equine  species  to  the  errors  attendant  upon  the  present  system  of 
Stable  Management. 


INDEX. 


A. 

PAGE 

Abnormal  condition  of  horn  induced 

by  the  present  mode  of  nailing     99 

Absence  of  the  groom  watched  for...  255 

Accidents  are  more  rare  since  muti- 
lation is  less  common 381 

might  be  avoided  by  masters  be- 
ing more  gentle 263 

occasioned  by  injudicious  break- 
ing   460 

Accomplishments  which  fit  to  take 

charge  of  a  dealer' s  yard 368 

According  to  the  position  of  the  el- 
bow so  the  hoofs  must  incline..  412 

Action  natural  to  a  slanting  shoulder  408 
necessitated  by  a  straight  shoul- 
der   405 

often    witnessed    before    private 
cabs  in  London 407 

Actions  of  the  dumb  are  likely  to  be 

misinterpreted 271 

Active  animals  are  always  disliked 

in  the  stable 215 

Activity     constitutes     the     horse's 

pleasure 206 

Adapted  for  speed  and  exertion 19 

Additional  bonds  only  provoke  addi- 
tional struggles 228 

Advantage  of,  and  peculiarities  of 

the  new  slipper  shoe Ill 

Advantages  and  disadvantages  of  all 

horns  to  give  drinks  with 74 

of  the  tin  bottle 75 

Advantages  of  having  the  stable  well 

regulated 839 

of  nailing  the  new  shoe  to  the  toe  113 
of  shoeing  racers  with  tips  473 

Advantages  secured  by  adopting  the 

Ai-abian  mode  of  nailing 105 

secured  by  movable  mangers 191 

Advice  to  purchasers 121 

Afi'ections  of  the  horse 201 

Aftermeath,  orrowen 174 

Age  ought  to  be  accurately  observed  147 
renders    the  jaw-bone   thin   and 
narrow 153 


rAM. 
Ages  have  produced  no  change  in 

the  horse's  treatment 223 

Agony  is  evinced  by  a  "kidney  drop- 
per," when  the  spine  is  pressed  269 
Air-passages,  the,   can    alter    their 

dimensions 25 

All  animals  are  spoilt  if  too  greatly 

petted 453 

in  the  same  stable  are  subjected 

to  the  same  usages 288 

creatures  play  with  food  when  not 

hungry 213 

feeding    and   drinking   compart- 
ments   should    rest    upon    the 

ground 310 

hands  should  help  the  groom  when 

the  horse  is  exhausted 348 

horses   are   fully  worked  during 

the  fourth  year 150 

horses  do  not  consume  the  like 

quantities  of  food. 197 

needful  security  assured  by  open 

trevises  in  private  stables 306 

Alteration  in  the  nippers  consequent 

upon  old  age 136 

Alterations  are  made  to  suit  the  de- 
clining breed  of  horses 432 

in  the  incisors 159 

Aloes,  the  retention  of  this  medicine 

within  the  body 165 

become  hard  by  keeping 67 

Aloes  cannot  be  given  to  some  horses    56 

often  kill 56 

the  purgative  of  the  stable 54 

very  uncertain  in  its  action 55 

Always  choose  a  horse  having  good 

haunches 418 

see  the  horse  led  out  of  the  stable  278 
Ambulatory,  an,  anticipates  the  ne- 
cessity of  mounting  in  the  stable  310 

Anatomical  considerations 18 

Anatomists,    were    horses    extinct, 
could  tell  their  characters  from 

their  bones 17 

Ancient  Arabian  shoe 95 

Anecdote,  about  breeding  horses 429 

(527) 


528 


INDEX. 


Ajiecdole    concerning    swerving   in 

the  horse 291 

illustrative  of  the  evils  generated 
by  the  present  mode  of  exercise  303 

of  a  jibbing  horse 284 

of  the  author  and  Van  Amburg...  434 

to  illustrate  kicking 272 

Anger  excited  by  the  colt's  restless- 
ness   209 

Angular  prominences  are  upon  the 
grinding  surface  of  the  new  mo- 
lar tooth 156 

Animal,  an,  at  five  years  old,  pro- 
nounced to  be  in  its  prime 153 

not  fitted  for  the  saddle,  is  said  to 

be  suitable  for  harness 421 

Animals  roll  when  their  hair  is  un- 
comfortable   230 

after  being  conditioned  are  often 

passed  by  hacks 464 

are  beaten  when  master  complains 

of  waste 213 

are  guided  by  their  experiences...  264 
are  incapable  of  conjecturing  con- 
sequences     264 

are  said  to  eat  their  own  heads  oflf  367 
brought  to  market  at  three  years 

old 146 

drink  less,  having  water  at  com- 
mand   814 

having  ewe  necks  are  generally 

weak 391 

knowing  no  future,  act  on  their 

experiences 218 

love  most  those  who  instruct  them  283 
may  be  deeply  diseased,  and  there- 
fore called  "vicious" 271 

the,  are   secondary  to  household 

duties  in  genteel  families 327 

when  procured,  become  members 

of  the  purchaser's  family 379 

Apparatus  for  steaming  the  horse's 

food 186 

Appearance,  the,  of  horses  is  the 
strongest  evidence  against  mod- 
ern stables 231 

Appliances  needed  to  cleanse  a  car- 
riage   488 

Arab  horse,  the,  conforms  to  no  ar- 
bitrary mould 395 

Arabian    mode    of    fastening    the 

horse's  shoe 100 

Arab  tail  is  well  set  on,  active,  and 

powerful 387 

Arnica  lotion  used  for  rick  of  the 

back 275 

Arrangement  in  the  components  of 

the  teeth 157 

of  the  gutters  within  stables 298 

Art  cannot  amend  a  natural  devel- 
opment   450 


Ascertain,  to,  if  the  horse  has  been 

properly  groomed 840 

Aspect    of    the    mouth    materially 

changes  after  the  first  year 138 

At  grass,  horses  enjoy  free  commu- 
nication   307 

Attempted  cures  of  jibbing  are  un- 
certain and  expensive 288 

Attends  at  fairs  and  on  market  days  431 

Attend  to  the  heels  on  the  following 

morning ...\ 352 

Author's  plan  of  nailing 105 

suggestions   should  be   tried   for 
their  own  sakes ..  297 


B. 

Back-bone  of  the  horse 382 

Backing  on  to  the  gangway 278 

the  horse  out  of  the  stall,  supposes 

the  spine  to  be  injured 278 

Back  of  the  stables 317 

the,  as  seen  from  above 381 

the,  is  often  injured 276 

the,  is  supported  by  eighteen  ribs 

on  either  side 40 

Bad  hay  and  corn  commonly  given 

to  horses 179 

Bad  hay  often  cut  into  chaff 177 

Bad    qualities    of    the    cow-bellied 

horse 404 

Balling,  blistering,  firing,  and  bleed- 
ing in  veterinary  practice 85 

Balling  irons,  common  form  of. 62 

improved  form  of 62 

only  of  use  to  timidity  or  inex- 

perince 60 

Professor  Varnell's  newly  invented    62 

Balls,  arguments  in  favor  of 73 

caustics  often  employed  in  large 

doses  with 58 

commonly    intrusted    to    grooms     54 

horse,  how  made 64 

how  prepared 67 

how  moulded  before  delivery 58 

how  to  administer 63 

quiet  mode  of  giving 67 

the  form  of 58 

the     swallowing    of,    should    be 

watched  for 68 

Barouche  and  landau 482 

Bars  or  open  trevises  admit  of  equine 

familiarities 307 

Battering  and  fixedness  aggravate 

the  weakness  of  the  fore  limbs.  417 

Beans,  bad  sample  of. 188 

Egyptian 188 

Egyptian,  free  from  objection 188 

English,  are  too  astringent 188 


INDEX. 


529 


Beans,  English  field,  unwholesome 

when  new 

good    and    bad    sample   of,    con- 
trasted with  each  other 

should  be  steamed 

Beard  is  sometimes  present  on  good 

oats 

Bearing-rein,   the,    interferes    with 

the  use  of  the  head 

Beating  the  horse  in  a  stable  is  dan- 
gerous  

Beauty  in  horses  generally  coincides 

with  excellence  of  spirit 

Be  brief  in  your  inquiries   in  the 

dealer's  yard 

Bed,  a,  is  uncomfortable  when  not 

horizontal 

Beer    recommended    for    the    horse 

with  a  sensitive  skin 

Behavior  of  grooms  requires  amend- 
ment   

to  be  exhibited  toward  dealers 

Bell,  a,  connected  with  the  grooms' 
cottages,  enables  assistance  to 

be  summoned 

Benefits  derived  from  having  a  stock 

of  frosted  shoes 

secured  by  a  new  mode  of  nail- 
ing  

Better  division  of  work  for  the  horse 
have  no  carriage  than  one  kept  in 

a  damp  shed 

Bird,  the,  returns  to  its  cage,  and  the 

horse  seeks  its  stable 

Birthday  of   all   horses   arbitrarily 

fixed  by  the  Jockey  Club 

Bishoped  teeth 

Bishoping  easily  detected 

described 

Bit,  the  Pelham,  its    recommenda- 
tions  

the  Hackney  and  birdoon 

the  Hanoverian 

Bits  attached  to  ladies'  bridles 

buckled  and  sewn  on 

Blackguards  who  sell  horses  are  not 

horse  dealers 

Black    mail    is    exacted    by    most 

grooms 

Blacksmith's  forge,  a,  during  frost... 

Bleeding  can,  its  form  and  use 

fleam,  described 

horses  should  be  blinded  before... 

lancet  not  recommended  for 

not  necessary  in  many  cases 

strange  love  of 

was  formerly  fashionable 

Blistering  and  firing  often  united... 

a  stable  right  through 

often   resorted   to,  to  please  the 
owner 


187 

187 
188 

180 

389 

209 

399 

374 

257 

290 

338 
373 


325 

127 

105 
342 


324 

251 

146 
134 
134 
134 

522 
522 
523 
519 
519 

138 

329 
127 
88 
89 
91 
89 
87 
86 
85 
78 
80 


80 


Blistering  oil  should  be  procured  of 

a  chemist,  and  diluted 82 

oil  should  be  quite  clear 82 

ointment  is  made  with  old  flies....     82 

omnibus  horses 81 

Blisters  and  oak  bark  proposed  for 

rick  of  the  back 275 

and  the  firing  iron  counteract  each 

other 78 

are  at  present  too  powerful 78 

only  of  late  years  have  been  re- 
duced in  strength 78 

Blood  horses  draw  weight  by  strain 

upon  the  muscles 401 

can  should  be  pressed  against  the 

neck 91 

if  cold,  and  exposed  to  the  air, 

becomes  oxygenated 24 

mare  and  foal 430 

stick  depicted 90 

when   cold,    has    lost    its    liying 

properties 245 

Bloods  want  an  infusion  of  a  little 

cocktail 433 

Body,  horse's,  beautiful  when  skin- 
ned      45 

the,  anatomically  considered 17 

the,  should   be    judged    of    as   a 

whole 386 

Boiler-house  between  the  gig-house 

and  first  loose  box 321 

Bolting  commonly  ensues  after  a  fit 

of  jibbing 280 

through  the  stable  door 239 

Bone   bears   the   burden  when  the 

body  descends  a  slope 253 

Bones,  character  of  the  animal  pro- 
nounced by 17 

of  the  fore  extremity,  how  retained 

in  their  places 42 

of  the  spine  described 38 

of   the   forelegs,   their    action   is 

regulated  by  the  shoulders 408 

Bones,  the,  of  the  leg  do  not  uphold 

each  other 408 

Boy  picking  hay 172 

Boys  should  not  be  employed  to  lead 

horses  through  stable  doors 240 

the,  about   training    stables    are 

not  trustworthy 470 

Bracy  Clark's  jointed  shoe,  remarks 

on 118 

Bray  of  the  donkey  and  neigh  of  the 

horse,  how  produced 47 

Brain,  the,   becomes    congested  by 

moving  in  circles 451 

Branch  drains  also  oppose  the  in- 
gress of  rats 300 

Branches  of  the  low^er  jaw  contract 

with  age 136 

Bran  mashes,  how  to  prepare 55 


34 


530 


INDEX. 


Bran  mashes,  more  gentle  and  more 

safe  than  aloes 55 

Breaches  of  stable  decorum  by  young 

horses 207 

Bread,  given  to  horses  in  Germany, 

might  be  used  as  food 195 

Breaker,  the,  operates  only  on  the 

fears  of  the  colt 453 

Breaking  and  training 449 

begins  at  three  years  old 147 

loose 217 

should  be  gradually  enforced  from 

the  earliest  age 455 

Breaks  are  not  often  publicly  used 

to  exercise  horses  in  304 

Breast  collar-strap 507 

Breathing  life  treated  as  it  were  an 

inanimate  chattel 200 

Breeders  should  take  example  from 

the  agriculturists 428 

Breeding,  its  inconsistencies  and  its 

disappointments  427 

of  horses  is  at  present  altogether 

wrong 437 

suckling,  and  living  on  grass 446 

Bricks  and  mortar  are  valueless  in 

comparison  with  horse  flesh 298 

Bricklayer's  trowel  likened  to  the 

teeth 158 

Bringing  the  sole  near  to  the  ground, 

danger  of 102 

Brittle  hoof 99 

Brougham  horse,  a 371 

Brougham  or  phaeton  harness 603 

Brushing  or  cutting  about  the  pas- 
tern joint 121 

Bulk  is  not  always  an  assurance  of 

strength 419 

merely  distends  and  injures  the 

stomach 177 

Bull  neck,  a 391 

Bustle   hails   the   appearance  of  a 

stranger  in  the  stable 204 

Buy  a  young  horse  by  the  teeth  as 

regards  age 164 


C. 


Calkins  destroying  the  even  bearing 

of  the  foot 109 

in  the  slipper  shoe  made  by  thin- 
ning the  quarters Ill 

Can,  bleeding,  its  form  and  use 88 

blood  should  be  pressed  against 

the  neck 91 

horses  have  aristocratic  predilec- 
tions   215 

Capacity  of  most  dteors  to  stables...  235 
Capital  and  tact  required  to  job  car- 
riages successfully 368 


Carriage,  a,  without  C  springs,  and 

a  brougham 488 

harness,  a  full  suit  of 504 

horses  are  not  kept  by  the  Lon- 
don dealers 367 

houses  are  always  large  enough...  233 
the  treatment  required  for,  when 

in  its  house 492 

Carriages 477 

congregate  on  wet  nights  before 

fashionable  mansions 823 

Carrying  round  the  food  to  the  sta- 
bles    192 

Carters  sit  upon  the  loins  of  young 

horses 265 

Cart  horse,  a 401 

with  a  Roman  nose 394 

horses  are  not  formed  to  trot 273 

have  long  mustaches 394 

Cartilago  nictitans 36 

its  special  use  and  action 36 

Carts    should    never   exist   without 

springs 386 

Cast  in  the  stall 231 

under  the  manger 259 

Cause  of  chink  of  the  back  is  the 

greed  of  proprietors 273 

Cause  of  odd  hoofs  in  the  horse 413 

Causes  of  cutting 121 

which  increase  the  liability  of  the 

foreleg  to  injury 416 

Caustics  dangerous  as  internal  medi- 
cine      59 

Cavity  of  the  pulp  in  the  molar  teeth  157 
Ceiling  of  stables,  how  it  is  formed  316 
Certain  steeds  snap  and  bite  when 

being  dressed  too  violently 289 

Channel  diminishes  with  age 136 

Character  and  color  of  upland  hay  173 

lowland  hay 173 

Cheap  harness  is  generally  danger- 
ous    496 

horses  are  not  to  be  bought  in 

London 359 

Cheapness    is    not    economy   when 

buying  oats 182 

Chififneybit,  the 623 

Child,   a,  might   sit  the   thorough- 
bred trot 421 

Chink  of  the  back 266 

Circular  chest,  the,  good   for   slow 

work 401 

exercise 462 

motion  induces  blindness 451 

Clark,  of  Edinburgh,  his  old  shoe 

preferred  to  new  inventions 121 

Classic    mind,  the,  recognized   the 

signification  of  the  horse 242 

Clean  saddle,  how  to 516 

Cleaning  harness,  the  proper  method 
of ..  604 


INDEX. 


53] 


Cleansing  and  cooling  with  Lot  and 

cold  watei* 349 

an  exhausted  horse 848 

an  undipped  horse 347 

Clearing  the  fence 462 

Cleaveland   bays   are   a   dangerous 

property 368 

Clinches  are  more  secure  when  made 

upon  the  toe 114 

Clicking  or  forging  common  toward 

the  end  of  a  long  journey 124 

Clipped  horse,  a,  is  a  deformity 346 

Clipijing  and  singeing 343 

induce  many  terrible  disorders....   344 

Clock-loft  and   lumber-room   above 

the  sheltered  space 320 

Closing  the  wound  after  having  bled 

the  horse 92 

Clothes  and  saddle  cannot  be  re- 
tained on  the  herring-gutted 
horse 404 

Clover  hay,  first  crop  of 174 

second  crop  of. 175 

Coal-cellar 319 

Coaxing  the  foal  to  feed 444 

Coax  the  horse  when  giving  medicine     78 

Collar-rope  is  bitten  through  with- 
out design 216 

Collar- strap  disfigures  the  neck  and 

mane 218 

Colt  at  three  years  may  cut  sixteen 

teeth 149 

Colts  are  way  ward  creatures 207 

Comminution  of  the  food  described..  155 

Common  form  of  horn  employed  to 

administer  drinks 74 

Common  sense  is  alone  necessary  to 

understand  horses 524 

Common  stallions  are  generally  led 

through  the  country 481 

Comparison  between  the  wild  and 

domesticated  horse 201 

Complex  calculations  required  of  the 

horse  dealer 362 

Composure   returns  only  when  the 

rug  is  destroyed 287 

Compound  soap  liniment  recom- 
mended for  rick  of  the  back 275 

Condition  of  horses  referred  to 432 

of  stable  windows  generally 315 

of  the  blood  explains  the  diseases 
of  the  foot 246 

Conduct  of  most  drivers  when  the 

horse  bolts 298 

Conjunctiva,  nature  and  distribution 

of 35 

Consequences  of  being  cast  in  the 

collar-rope 224 

of  being  cast  under  the  manger...  259 
of  too  much  paring,  miscalled  dis- 
ease   106 


Contents  of  the  abdomen  and  thorax  403 
Continued  standing  is  a  bad  symp- 
tom   352 

Contraction  of  the  jaw-bones  forces 

the  teeth  into  the  mouth 158 

Contrast  between   a  three-year  old 
and  a  bishoped  sixteen-year  old 

mouth 185 

between  the  permanent  and  milk 

incisor  teeth 160 

Cooking  food  for  horses  no  novelty  193 
Copers  esteem  a  kidney  dropper  a 

valuable  horse 269 

the,  always  flurry  a  horse  when 

pretending  to  show  it 277 

Corner    incisors    first   cut   at  nine 

months  old 141 

milk    incisors,    being    shed,    an- 
nounce five  years  old 153 

Corns  are  natural  to  upright  hoofs...  415 

Corn  promotes  fat ; 187 

should  be  crushed  on  the  prem- 
ises     184 

when    crushed,    requires    further 

preparation 186 

Corpora  nigra,  present  in  the  horse 

and  camel 31 

Cost  of   a   separate   house   for  the 
groom  would  be  fifteen  pounds 

per  annum 383 

of  horse  flesh  is  much  increased  by 

hard  food 166 

Coughing,  its  danger  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  a  drink  75 

provoked  by  raising  the  head 76 

Countenance  during  a  fit  of  jibbing  282 

Countersinking  for  driving  nails 113 

Course  of  the  food,  how  arranged...     28 

Covered  ride  round  the  stable 302 

Cow-bellied  or  pot-bellied  horse,  the 

evils  of 404 

Cribbing    induced    by  confinement 

and  indigestion 205 

Crime  is  the  climax  of  social  frailty  426 
Crowded  forges  prevented  by  laying 

in  a  stock  of  frosted  shoes 127 

Cruel  imprisonment 201 

Cruelties  undergone  at  three  years 

old 148 

Cruelty  and  roguery  are  associated..  425 

cannot  promote  development 164 

is  practiced  to  coerce  the  jibber...  280 
of  rasping  the  hoof  to  fit  a  small 

shoe 131 

of  the  present  mode  of  breaking  in  141 

resorted  to  after  bleeding 94 

sometimes  changes  the  action  of 

the  straight  shoulder 406 

unintentionally    inflicted    on    all 

horses 168 

Cruiser  and  Mr.  Rarey 453 


Ooi 


INDEX. 


Crusta  petrosa 157 

is  endowfid  with  a  limited  power 
of  growth 158 

Cures  proposed  for  cutting  from  ex- 
haustion    122 

Curry-comb  should  be  abolished 337 

Curveting  and  lunging  are  alike  in 

their  influences 449 

Customers  are  protected  by  the  au- 
thor's recommendations 378 

should    be    better    suited    than 
pleased 364 

Custom  of  the  drivers  attached  to 

the  former  fly  wagons 265 

Cutting  away  the  horny  sole 103 

often  produced  by  exhaustion 123 


D. 

Damp  stables  are  equally  costly  and 

dangerous 322 

Danger  consequent  upon  the  inter- 
nal use  of  caustics 59 

of  casting  the  entire  weight  upon 

the  wall 103 

of  coughing  during  the  giving  of 

a  drink 75 

of  getting  the  hind  leg  beyond  the 

post  of  the  stall 230 

of  gorging  on  dry  wheat 169 

of  standing  in  the  manger 209 

Dangers  of  racing  plates 114 

of  the  present  method  of  nailing..  100 
Darkness  does  not  incapacitate  the 

horse's  eye 32 

Date  is  apt  to  deceive  the  breeder...  440 

Dead  donkeys  not  rare 47 

Dealers  buy  with  a  view  to  certain 

purchasers 375 

do    not   show    all   their   stock  to 

every  chance  customer 138 

generally    possess     one     or    two 

blood-weeds ...  369 

horses  are  exercised  in  front  of 

the  house  windows 304 

take  much  trouble  to  buy  horses..  359 
visit  horse  fairs  and  breeders  of 

stock 364 

will  not  submit  a  horse  of  known 
unsoundness  to  a  veterinary  ex- 
amination    378 

Deformity  consequent  on  neglect  of 

the  hoof 102 

Deglutition  described 29 

Degree  of  motion  permitted  in  the 

stable 202 

Deluging  with  water  does  not  please 

the  horse 346 

Dentine 157 


Depth  of  the  lower  jaw  in  the  young 

horse  accounted  for 157 

Deranged  stomach  denoted  by  fas- 
tidious and  by  voracious  appe- 
tite     196 

Detailed  description  of  the  surface- 
gutters  of  the  stable 299 

Development  of  the  hyoideal  muscles  400 
Diagrams  of  the  opposite  formation 

of  thorax 402 

Difference    between    fullering    and 

countersinking 113 

between  man  and  horse  in  their 

lodging 233 

in  the  food  of  man  and  horse  when 

in  training 170 

of  head  in  a  one  and  a  two-year  old  144 
Difl'erent  articles  eaten  by  horses  ...  166 

forms  of  pasterns 410 

kinds  of  ears' 396 

kinds  of  snaffles 521 

Digestion  deranged  by  modern  sta- 
bles and  present  food 196 

of  the  horse  is  frequently  impaired  342 
Disease  in  the  horse  is  exposed  to 

the  conjectures  of  ignorance 285 

Discovered  in  the  morning  with  the 

head  under  the  manger 258 

Dishonest  dealers  always  demand  a 

written  warranty 365 

Disposition  of  the  horse  should  be 

studied 77 

Dock,  the,  should  be  regarded  as  a 

continuation  of  the  back-bone..  386 
Domesticated  animals  generally  live 

on  prepared  food 167 

horse  is  very  old  by  its  thirtieth 

year , 165 

Donkey,  the,  belongs  to  the  equine 

race 46 

Donkeys  natural  to  the  sandy  desert    48 
have  to  toil  after  man's  day  of  la- 
bor has  ended 51 

prejudices    concerning,    tend    to 

their  misery 51 

9erve  only  the  poor 49 

the  loins  of,  uphold  riders 51 

thrust  into  any  hole  for  the  night.     49 
work  beforoithe  master  begins  to 

labor 50 

Do  not  coax  a  tired  horse  to  feed....  351 
Do  not  punish  the  horse  for  jibbing.  281 
Doors  of  stables  should  fold,  or  be 

divided  through  the  center 307 

open  on  to  the  ambulatory 307 

size   of,   according    to    Professor 

Stewart 235 

Double  coach-house 319 

Doubt  as  to  the  weakness  of  a  hol- 
low back 384 

Down  in  the  hip 237 


INDEX. 


533 


Drag    on    the    clinches    the    conse- 
quence of  the  thin  heel  shoe....  120 
Draught   horses   require   high   and 

good  haunches 421 

Draughts  in  crowded  stables  enable 

the  horses  to  live 81 

Draughtsmen,  their  qualifications...  478 

Dress,  a,  carriage  and  a  chariot 482 

Dressing  the  heels 358 

the  horse 340 

Drinking,  the  manner  of,  explained.     71 
Drinks  or  draughts,  a  form  of  horse 

physic 68 

danger  of  administering 69 

generally  objected  to 68 

reasons  for  these  objections 68 

sometimes  poured  down  the  nos- 
tril      69 

the  objection  to  so  giving  medi- 
cine      73 

usual  mode  of  giving 74 

Driving  a  nail  too  fine 100 

Dry  fodder  prematurely  wears  down 

the  teeth 133 

Drying  the  heels 350 

Dryness  affects  the  nature  of  ,the 

horse's  food 171 

Dusk,  and  at  ten  o'clock,  duties  of...  341 
Duties  of  the  night-watcher 325 


E. 

Each  groom  should  lead  two  horses 

to  exercise 306 

Earning  its  keep  during  lactation...  436 
Early  and  late  is  the  best  time  for 

exercise 466 

Ears,  diflferent  kinds  of 396 

Eastern  elevation  of  the  contem- 
plated stables 325 

Education,     modern,     makes     men 

knowing  and  not  good 198 

should  commence  with  birth 455 

Effects  of  living  upon  grass  in  the 

field 430 

Egyptian  beans  are  mild  and  sweet..  188 
Eight  months'  solitary  imprisonment 

is  not  rest 475 

Eight  o'clock  duties 340 

Employers  should  be  blamed  for  the 

groom's  debasement 330 

Employment  of  the  drawing  knife  a 

necessity 106 

Enamel 157 

English  mode  of  paring  the  foot 102 

thorough-bred  tail  approaches  to 

the  Arab 387 

Entire   horses  are   not  necessarily 

iavages 433 


Entreaty  not  to  credit  the  possibility 

of  a  "vicious  animal" 294 

Equine  race,  the,  are  treated  as 
creatures  without  habits  or  in- 
stincts   241 

Estimable  qualities  of  hollow-backed 
•  horses 384 

Even  man's    generosity  causes  the 

horse  to  suffer 475 

Every  gentleman  his  own  horse- 
breaker 453 

Everything  in  the  stable  yields  trib- 
ute to  the  groom 330 

Evils  of  long  nights  to  horses  and  to 

grooms 198 

of  modern  stables 200 

Ewe  neck,  an 391 

Exaggerated  view  of  a  weakly  ani- 
mal with  dangerous  action 424 

Examine  the  angles  of  the   mouth 

before  purchasing 398 

Excellence  of  the  racer's  action  in 

the  trot 420 

Excessive  weakness  has  lost  many  a 

race 472 

Exchanges,  with    horses,    are   very 

expensive 373 

Excited  horse,  mouth  of  an 288 

Excitement  ensues  upon  first  snifiBng 

the  pure  air 334 

prevented  by  rapidly  and  silently 
distributing  the  food 312 

Exercise,  during  training,  is  given 

at  mid-day 466 

can  be  given  in  all  weathers  under 
the  ambulatory 303 

Exhausting  labor  renders  bleeding 

unnecessary 87 

Exhaustion  in  youth  is  a  bad  pre- 
parative for  the  stud-farm 428 

Expense  of  feeding  the  horse,  how 

increased 193 

would  not  be  increased  by  proper 
treatment 463 

Experiments,  uselessness  of,  as  a  test 

for  medicine 60 

Experiment,  testing  the  efiFects  of  a 

thick  and  of  a  thin  covering 344 

Explanation  of  the  doctor's  difliculty  303 

of  the  term  "May  bird" 364 

of  the  word  "nicking" 387, 

Expression  of  the  ears 396 

Extended  view  obtained  by  mount- 
ing into  the  manger 210 

Extravagance  of  h.ard  food 166 

Extreme  age  rare  in  the  horse 88 

Eye,  the,  is  a  certificate  of  the  horse's 

origin 30 

Eyes,  the,  of  the  horse  are  much 

exposed  to  injury 291 

various  sorts  of 397 


584 


INDEX. 


F^ietus,  the,  is  injured  by  the  mother 

being  sucked  while  breeding. ...  445 
Filse  nostrils,  situation,  nature  and 

uses  of 25 

Fancy  is  most  active  in  the  weakest 

intellects 227 

Fangs  of  the  milk  teeth  are  absorbed  1 60 
Farmers,  the,  idea  of  a  breeding  mare  447 
Fat  is  laid  on,  although   lameness 

exists  in  the  foreleg 243 

is  promoted  by  the  food  —  horses 

are  sweated  to  remove  fat 467 

Faults  inseparable  from  stables 233 

Fearful  change  takes  place  when  a 

horse  is  "thrown  up"  to  breed.  435 

Fed  between  the  bursts 472 

Feeding  of  the  grazing  and  the  sta- 
bled horse 429 

the  mare 455 

the  newly-born  foal 443 

Feeling,  instincts  or  inclinations  of 

the  hoi'se  are  never  heeded 198 

Feet  of  farm  horses  are  generally 

sound 246 

of  thorougli-breds  generally  bad..  115 

Felt  under-pad 512 

Few  gentlemen's   stables   are  sup- 
plied with  the  best  grain 181 

grooms  live  in  the  house 327 

horse  dealers  die  rich 367 

horses  reach  their  thirtieth  year ..  155 
human  beings  should  be  exposed 

to  the  groom's  temptations 330 

tails  are  well  set  oi^ 387 

Fleam,  the,  as  made  to  be  struck  by 

the  hand 89 

the,  is  preferable  to  the  lancet . ...     89 
the,  described  as  used  for  bleeding     89 
Field    (newspaper)    description    of    - 

roughing,  from 129 

Fifth  molar  present  by  the  second 

year 145 

Fired,  sometimes,  and  blistered  af- 
ter it 78 

Fire  has  been  kindled  under  a  jib- 
bing horse 281 

First  crop  of  clover 174 

drops  of   blood   taken   from   the 

forefoot  are  cold 243 

lessons  in  breaking  should  com- 
mence with  the  foal 141 

permanent  tooth  appears  at  one 

year  old 142 

the,  harness  put  on  a  foal 456 

Fittings  needed  for  the  interior  of  a 

carriage 490 

of  the  sheltered  space 320 

Five-feet  wide  doors  do  very  well  for 

sleepy  animals 237 


Flattery   is   much   relished   by   all 

lower  life 456 

Flesh  is  only  another  name  for  mus- 
cle   381 

Flexor  muscle,  the,  influences  the 

direction  of  the  foot 412 

Flooring   of   the   proposed    stables 

described 298 

Foal  first  nips  the  grass  when  four 

months  old 141 

one  fortnight  after  birth 139 

the,  may  accompany  the  mare  in 

her  work 436 

Foals  are  generally  crippled  before 

they  are  born 428 

should  be  taught  to  regard  men 

as  friends 444 

teeth  at  birth 139 

Folly  of  docking 380 

of  employing  blisters  to  the  legs..     79 
of  ornamental  scroll  work  instead 

of  plain  bars 306 

of  tying  a  horse  by  its  head  to 

the  manger 225 

Food 168 

for  the  foal  if  the  mare's  milk  is 

tarJy 443 

not  thoroughly  digested  when  pre- 
sented dry 165 

of  horses  is  contaminated  in  mod- 
ern stables 318 

proper  for  an  exhausted  horse 347 

should  be  proportioned  to  the  ani- 
mal's fatigue 351 

the  greatest  of  many  evils  under 

which  horses  suifer 169 

when  too  abundant  is  wasted 212 

Foot,  the,  perspires  through  the  horn  353 

Foreleg  over  the  collar-rope 221 

Forelegs  in  the  manger 208 

Forelimb  is  not  a  straight  pillar 409 

the,  is  joined  to  the  trunk  by  mus- 
cle      41 

Forge,  horse's  dread  of i 109 

strange  custom  of  charging  differ- 
ent prices  in 110 

the  state  of  the,  during  a  sudden 

frost 127 

Formation  of  the  soil  of  stable 301 

Former  shoes,  unsuit  for  modern  use     96 
Form  of  thorax  which  is  best  suited 

for  slow  and  for  fast  work 402 

the,  of  a  mare  for  breeding 438 

Four  fully-grown  permanent  incis- 
ors only  denote  three  years  of 

age 147 

miles  an  hour  is  a  fair  exercising 

pace 305 

or  five  o'clock  duties 341 

permanent  incisors  in  each  jaw 
announce  four  years  old 152 


INDEX. 


535 


Pour  "roomy"  stalls  may  be  con- 
verted into  three  loose  boxes....  332 

Fourth  molar  is  the  first  permanent 

tooth 142 

year,  at  the,  the  horse  should  be 
taught  to  leap 416 

Four-year  olds  are  thought  to  need 

no  indulgence 151 

Four-year  old  colt  may  be  placed 

between  shafts 459 

Fracture  of  the  haunch  disqualifies 

for  a  gentleman's  service 238 

Freedom  is  naturally  desired  by  the 

horse 220 

Freemasonry,  the,  which  exists  be- 
tween steed  and  rider 372 

French  martingale,  the  use  of 518 

revolution,  the  nobleman  and  Bas- 
tile 252 

Frequent  change   of   shoes   injui-es 

the  feet  of  thorough-breds 473 

Friction,  when  brisk,  warms  more 

than  slow  walking  exercise 352 

Frog  and  sole  injured  by  the  wedge- 
heeled  shoe 119 

Front  of  the  new  stable  has  no  in- 
termediate rails 319 

.  teeth  appear  to  be  but  temporary.   145 
teeth  stick  out  like  spikes  at  thirty 
years  of  age 167 

Frosted  shoes  worn  out  in  three  or 

four  days 128 

Frosting  or  roughing  as   generally 

performed 128 

Fullered  shoe 113 

Full  loins  are  generally  associated 

with  a  stout  dock 398 

set  of  horse  clothes ,...  498 

Fuzzy  tail  disappears  at  one-year  old  143 


G. 


GrangTvay,  the,  should  be  kept  clean  338 
General  complaint  of  the  roguery  of 

horse  dealers 425 

mode  of  leading  the  horse  out  of 

the  stable 236 

view  of  the  shoulder  and  foreleg..  416 
Gentlemen  like  the  springy  seat  af- 
forded by  a  young  spine 146 

should  respect  their  station  when 

treating  with  dealers 378 

when    ignorant    of    horse    flesh, 

should  not  attempt  display 370 

Gentleness    and    caution    requisite 

when  trying  a  fresh  horse 372 

should  be  displayed  during  a  fit 

of  jibbing 282 

Gentle  riding  and  proper  grooming 

would  sustain  condition 475 


German  silver  makes  the  best  orna- 
ments for  harness 496 

Gestation  is  opposed  to  lactation 445 

Get  up 351 

Gig,  a,  and  a  two-wheeled  dog  cart..  485 

Gig  harness  and  kicking-strap 502 

house 319 

Girths  of  saddles  generally  consid- 
ered    509 

Giving  a  horse  a  quart  of  malt  liquor  347 

out  macerated  food 191 

Glycerin    and    rose-water    removes 

scurf. 290 

wash,  the  mode  of  applying  it  to 

the  skin 337 

Gnawing  the  manger  rail  the  result 

of  long  captivity 204 

Good  bridle,  the  characteristics  of...  517 
feeders  are  too  commonly  sluggish 

animals 352 

form,  a,  generally  requires  little 

aid  in  foaling....' 439 

horse,  the,  is  good  for  every  pur- 
pose    420 

oatmeal,  how  to  recognize 178 

oats  display  no  vast  difi"erence  in 

size 180 

reach,  a,  in  the  trot,  a  valuable 

quality  in  a  hack 420 

saddle,    a,    should    fall    into    its 

proper  place 515 

shoes  are  spoiled  by  being  roughed  128 
Gowing's,   Mr.,   mode    of  giving   a 

ball 65 

its  advantages  and  defects 66 

Graced  with  the  sweetest  manners, 

sells  the  horses 362 

Grass,  horses  are  generally  shod  with 

tips  when  out  at 116 

suggests  the  food  of  the  horse 20 

the  natural  food  of  the  undomes- 

ticated  horse 133 

Great  muscular   power  is  necessi- 
tated to  move  the  head 388 

Greenhorns  disliked  by  the  regular 

dealer 373 

Green  meat  and  mashes  are  better 

than  aloes 469 

Grooms 327 

conceive  the  horse  injures  them...  222 
display  the  union  of  innocence  and 

knowingness 354 

doing  house  work  generally  neg- 
lect the  stable 355 

flog  the  horse  for  standing  in  the 

gutter 257 

generally  manage  their  nominal 

masters 229 

imagine  the  foot  to  be  a  mystery..  353 

like  fat  in  horses 212 

like  the  horse  to  have  hard  meat..  193 


536 


INDEX. 


Grooms  never  regard  cutaneous  sen- 
sitiveness as  a  disease 285 

pretend  to  comprehend  impossi- 
bilities   355 

pride      themselves     upon     being 
"close" 355 

regard    see-sawing    as    a   fearful 
"vice" 205 

report  effects,  and  never  hint  at 
causes 229 

ride  as  they  please  when  exercis- 
ing horses 303 

singe  the  hairs  inside  the  hoi'se's 
ears 395 

should  not  ride  when  exercising 

horses 306 

Groom's  room  is  situated  over  the 

boiler-house 324 

idea  of  a  horse's  long  imprison- 
ment   211 

secret  mixtures  are  the  originals 

of  patent  food 196 

Ground  plan  of  the  proposed  stables  321 
Gruel  is   proper  for   an  exhausted 

horse 351 

Guess  only  at  the  age  after  the  fifth 

year 163 


H. 

Hair  should  never  be  inclosed  in  the 

wound  after  bleeding 93 

Hairs  from  oats  are  felted  together 

in  the  stomach 183 

on  the  oat 182 

Half  an  acre  of  close  grass  should  be 

attached  to  each  loose  box 309 

Hames  with  double  eyes 506 

Handling  the  feet 457 

Hand-over-hand  pace,  the,  is  bad...  423 

Hard   food   must  be   a   tax  on  the 

muscular  system 467 

provender   wears    the   teeth   and 

shortens  the  life 165 

substances  derange  the  horse's  di- 
gestion   186 

Hardships  undergone  at  three  years 

old 148 

Harness  and  food  are  benefited  when 

separated  from  stables 317 

and  stable  sundries 494 

for  the  young 456 

horses    are    usually    imperfectly 
broken 459 

Hat,  the,  should  be  removed  before 

a  horse  is  led  out  of  the  stable..  240 

Haunch-bone    is    often    broken    by 

striking  against  the  door-post..  288 

Haunches,  the,  will  express  the  qual- 
ities of  the  horse 419 


Hay,  aftermeath 174 

clover,  first  crop 174 

second  crop  ....  175 

from  legumens  might  cost  more, 

but  would  be  better 189 

heated 175 

loft,  the,  should  be  over  the  coach- 
house   333 

lowland 173 

musty 176 

promotes  fat 189 

should  be  sorted  before  it  is  placed 

in  the  rack 171 

upland 172 

weather  beaten 176 

Head,  carried    straight   out  is   un- 
graceful and  unsafe 390 

the,  must  be  retracted  before  the 

horse  can  rise 260 

the,  by  its  movements  inclines  the 

body  in  certain  directions 380 

the,  denotes  the  ti-eatment  of  the 

horse 393 

Health  suffers  from  improper  food ..  169 
Heaped  manger  unsuited  for  a  fam- 
ished horse 178 

Heat    and    impurity  naturally  pro- 
voke cuticular  irritability 224 

and     moisture    correct     the    un- 

wholesomeness  of  food 190 

Heaving  at  the  flanks 440 

Heavy  animals  were  formerly  used 

for  gentle  purposes 422 

carts  having  long  reins  are  inju- 
rious to  the  horse's  spine 273 

Heels   are    left    unprotected  if  the 

shoeing  is  neglected 106 

Heraldt  painting  —  how  its  charges 

are  regulated 478 

Herbs,  when  dried,  retain  their  prop- 
erties     171 

Herring-gutted    horse,    the    disad- 
vantages of 403 

High-spirited  horses  are   the  most 

troublesome  when  confined 215 

stubborn  horn  the  author  prefers 

in  the  horse's  foot 414 

Hind  hoofs  enjoy  a  freedom  denied 

to  the  forefeet 244 

legs,  the,  have  a  tendency  to  in- 
crease the  burden  of  the  fore 

limbs 417 

Hinge  of  the  spine  for  rearing 44 

Hobble  the  hind  legs  of  a  mare 441 

Hogs'  skins  are  seldom  perfect 515 

Hollow-backed  horse 383 

cavity  at  the  toe  of  the  slipper  shoe  111 
Home,  a,  for  a  horse  is  not  the  same 

thing  as  a  home  for  a  man 298 

Hoofs  are  spoiled  by  roughing  iur- 

ing  frost  128 


INDEX. 


587 


Hopeless  struggle  of  mankind 200 

Horn    for    giving    drinks,   common 

form  of. 74 

improved  form  of. 74 

of  the  hoof  described 98 

whalebone  and  wood  are  best  for 

stable  instruments 336 

Horse  auction  marts  deal  largely  in 

unsound  horses 277 

a,  when  sold  should  suit  the  pur- 
chaser    3fil 

dealers 357 

dealers  are  alive  to  the  value  of 

their  stock 379 

dealers  generally  occupy  the  same 

place  at  successive  fairs 365 

is   intended  to   run  unshod  over 

grass  land 116 

is  very  choice  when  eating  grass.  170 
its  disposition  should  be  studied...  77 
lowers    the    head    to    feed    and 

drink 170 

the,  cannot  turn  in  its  stall  with- 
out twisting  the  back 279 

the,  has  embraced  its  position 252 

the,  has  not  changed  with  the  mu- 
tation of  society 449 

the,  squatting  suddenly  like  a  dog 

denotes  a  kidney  dropper 267 

knowledge  is  not  a  mystery 524 

Horses  when  they  speedy  cut  are 

liable  to  fall,  as  though  shot....  423 
should  be  taken  into  use  with  bo- 
dies uninjured 463 

are    always    blamed    for    human 

carelessness 234 

are  by  grooms  credited  only  with 

evil  qualities 216 

are  furnished  with  the  means  of 

self-injury 262 

are  inclined  to  rest  at  mid-day 468 

are  often  captives  for  many  days 

in  the  stall 211 

are  put  to  the  greatest  exertion  at 

five  years  of  age 153 

are  seldom  dressed  when  brought 

home  late 230 

are  starved  when  confined  to  small 

stables 81 

body  still  beautiful  even  when  the 

skin  is  removed 45 

can  protrude  their  heads  through 

the  half-opened  doors 308 

can  see  in  comparative  darkness..  228 

dread  the  forge 109 

eating  from  the  ground,  require 

no  hay-rack 310 

eat  various  substances  in  diflFerent 

countries 194 

have  no  right  to  do  as  they  like 

with  their  lives 207 


Horses  have  perished  from  all  four 

feet  being  blistered 78 

have  to  sleep  on  slanting  pave- 
ment   256 

having  wide  hips  and  large  thighs 

very  seldom  cut 122 

intended  to  breed  should  be  ten- 
derly nurtured 435 

lower  the  head  while  drinking 76 

must  feel  their  captivity 202 

should  be  exercised  on  the  prem- 
ises   304 

slide  backward   on  the   slanting 

pavement 259 

the,  painted  by  Stubbs,  are  lost  to 

the  present  generation 407 

their  rest  broken  by  the  inclina- 
tion of  their  beds 257 

which  kick  when  the  foot  is  in  the 
stirrup    are    often    quiet   when 

mounted 272 

clothes  generally  miich  too  short..  350 
Horse  flesh  is  being  ruined  by  the 

race-course 432 

Hot-water   pipes   traverse  the  pro- 
posed stable 322 

How  grooms  contrive  to  spend  so 

much  money 329 

to  examine  for  kidney  dropping...  268 

for  the  signs  of  cutting 423 

to  feed  a  famished  animal 178 

to  feed  a  hunter ....  471 

to  feed  the  mare  and  foal 443 

to  make  good  gruel 178 

to  macerate  food 190 

to  procure  good  oats' 182 

to  recognize  a  bishoped  tooth 134 

Human  child  not  a  man  when  the 

permanent  teeth  appear 152 

Humanity  in  purchasers  would  de- 
stroy roguery  in  dealers 426 

Hunters,  as  a  rule,  are  not  kept  by 

the  London  trade 369 

must  be  over  four  years  old 146 

Hunting  breast-plate 511 


I. 


Impaling  the  foot  on  a  projecting 

nail 101 

Imperfect  vision   renders   a   horse 

dangerous 293 

Importance  of  warmth  to  the  horse..  322 
Impossible  to  convince  most  grooms.  220 
to  make  the  teeth  declare  a  horse 

older  than  it  really  is 168 

Imprisonment  engenders  eagerness 

to  breathe  the  fresh  air 237 

Improvement   has   not  reached  the 

jail  of  the  horse 297 


5'6b 


INDEX. 


Impure  air,  sameness  of  food,  and 

confinement  generate  disease....  243 
residence,  an,  generates  a  morbid 
craving 329 

In  cavalry  stables,  horses  are  sepa- 
rated by  bales 307 

Incisor  teeth   are  not  employed  in 

the  stable 167 

Incisors,  the,  which  denote  -a  three- 
year  old 147 

Inclination  of  the  feet  of  hoi'ses .412 

Incline  of  the  superficial  gutters 301 

Infei'ior  margin  of  the  jaw  still  thick 

at  four  years  old 151 

oats  possess  the  longest  hairs 183 

specimens  of  oats  commonly  adul- 
terated   179 

Injury  done  by  boys  who  hold  your 

honor's  horse 124 

occasioned   to    the    crust   of    the 

hoof  by  nailing 100 

often   done  by  the  laws   of   the 

Jockey  Club 146 

or  blemish  is  feared  by  dealers  as 
much  as  death ; 366 

Inquiry  into  the  conduct  of  colt  and 

groom 209 

Instinctive  acts  in  man 295 

Instruction  properly  imparted  does 

not  strain  the  body 461 

Interior    of   the    stable    should    be 

colored  green 316 

In  the  end,  it  is  cheapest  to  act  justly  331 
field,  horses  rest  with    the    hind 

legs  highest 247 

stable,  horses  stand  with  the  fore- 
feet highest 248 

Inward  soft  organs  govern  the  hard- 
est outward  secretions 118 

Irish    horses    are    famed    as    good 

fencers 462 

Itching  and  scratching  rank  as  vices 

in  the  stable 223 


J. 

Jaw-bone  becomes  thin  and  narrow 

with  age 153 

in  early  life,  is  full  and  round  at 

the  lower  margin 142 

Jaw,  the,  of  a  two-year  old  intimates 

approaching  change 145 

Jealousy  regarding  a  choice  colt 376 

Jibbing  first  alluded  to 280 

is  as  common  now  as  it  was  for- 
merly   286 

is  equine  epilepsy 280 

most  common  in  heavy  and  in  har- 
ness horses 282 


Jobbing   requires   skill   in   placing 

horses 368 

Job-masters     assert     the     straight 
shoulder  is  the  best  for  harness 

pm-poses 406 

the,  terms  of 368 

Jockey  Club,  folly  of  its  laws 146 

further  alluded  to 168 

Jolly  fun  of  the  trainer's  stable 470 


K. 

Keep  the  stableman  to  his  duties....  855 
Kettle,  a  two-gallon,  wanted  in  every 

stable 178 

Kicker,  a,  and  a  biter 484 

Kickers    often    stand    quiet    when 

mounted  on  the  opposite  side...  273 

Kicking  in  the  night 227 

"Kidney  dropping"  is  esteemed  a 

terrible  "vice" 266 

Kidneys,  the,  are  not  concerned  in 
what  is  termed  "kidney  drop- 
ping"   270 

Kiln-dried  oats,.to  detect 185 

"Kim  ovare" 336 

Kindle  an  opposite  emotion  and  fear 

is  destroyed 293 

Kindness  preferable  to  any  mechani- 
cal restraint 61 

is    especially  remunerative  when 

bestowed  upon  the  mare 437 

is  responded  to   even  when  con- 
sciousness is  partly  lost 283 

Kinds  of  horn  composing  the  wall  of 

the  hoof. 98 

Know    your    own    wants    before    a 

dealer's  yard  is  entered 373 

Konisberg  oats 180 


L. 

Labial  action  often  mistaken  in  the 

horse 524 

Lachrymal  gland 35 

Lad,  a,  should  be  allowed  in  every 

stable 332 

Ladies  flushed  from  the   ball-room 

often  sleep  in  damp  carriages...  323 

patent  stirrup 514 

Lady,  the,  and  the  magistrate 164 

Lady's  palfrey  in  the  reign  of  Charles 

the  Second 422 

side-saddle 513 

bridle  is  generally  light 517 

"Lampas"  explained 157 

Lamps,  large  and  small,  for  a  car- 
riage   492 


INDEX. 


539 


Large  lungs  favor  the  increase  of 

weight 401 

nostrils  and  mouth  show  breeding 

in  a  horse 397 

stables  are  generally  well  man- 
aged   332 

Lying  on  the  gangway 261 

Lead  liniment  softens  the  exudation 

after  blistering 84 

Leanness    of    hay-fed    horses    ac- 
counted for 189 

Leaping,  how  it  should  be  taught...  461 
Legitimate   horse  dealers,  all  have 

private  yards 358 

as  a  body,  are  honorable  men 360 

Legs,  lower  parts  of  the,  contain  no 

muscles  to  stimulate 82 

of  the  horse  highly  sensitive 79 

Legumens,     sown     broadcast     and 
reaped,  form  a  better  kind  of 

hay 189 

Length  of  back  is  of  no  separate  im- 
portance   386 

Let  no  man  talk  about  a  "vicious 

horse" 295 

Licking  the  manger,  an  endeavor  to 

make  employment 204 

Life  is  fixed  to  no  one  condition 371 

Light  draught  horses  can  best  dis- 
pense with  muscular  loins 383 

generally  stops  the  kicking  in  the 

night.. 227 

should  always  be  present  in  the 

stable 228 

work  need  only  exercise  the  mare  436 
Lining  of  harness  is  soiled  by  bad 

grooms 505 

Liquid  which  drains  from  steamed 

food  is  a  nutritious  drink 186 

Liquor  arsenicalis  is   good  for  the 

skin 290 

Load,  the,  being  delivered,  the  heavy 

cart  is  trotted  back 273 

Locality  for  the  proposed  stable 319 

Lofty  crest,  a,  is  best  induced  by 

proper  food 460 

Loins,  the,  are  without  bony  support  382 
cannot  be  too  large  or  muscular..  382 
transmit  the  force  of  the  haunches  382 
the  spines  of,  and  of  the  sacrum, 

point  different  ways 44 

Long  and  short  legs,  the  value  of 

each 405 

Loop,  a,  of  string,  used  instead  of  a 

twitch 75 

Loose  boxes  eighteen  feet  square  ...  298 
would  cure  many  "vices"  of  the 

stable 222 

shoes,  perils  of. 101 

Low-bred  haunches  express  weak- 
ness    418 


Lower  jaw  becomes  sharp  with  age.    1<jo 

Lowland  hay 173 

Lunging 451 

Lungs,  capacity  of,  illustrated 19 


M. 

Mail  phaeton,  a,  and  four-wheeled 

dog  cart 484 

Malt  liquor,  horses  soon  grow  fond 

of 347 

Man  alarms  the  horse  by  needless 

cruelties 263 

alone  has  conceived  a  life  without 

a  pleasure 206 

and  horse  supposed  to  change  po- 
sitions— the  result 206 

could    not   create   the   perfection 

which  he  injures 44 

is  not  more  gregarious  than  the 

horse ." 474 

is  not  more  humane  than  formerly  381 
is  to  blame  for  the  horse's  stable 

conduct 211 

neglects  the  life  which  cannot  be 

repaired 234 

not  fitted  to  exert   absolute   au- 
thority      80 

and   horse   are    not    a   match    in 

strength. 521 

Man's  fingers,  a,  cannot  test  the  ex- 
pansibility of  a  horse's  foot 415 

resi^onsibility,  how  evaded 53 

senseless  adherence  to  antiquated 

forms 452 

Manger,  the,  rope  fastens  the  head 
immediately  under  the  opening 

to  the  hay-loft 310 

Manner  of  judging  the  limbs 423 

of  using  the  blood  can 92 

Manners,  the,  requisite  in  a  horse 

dealer 361 

Many  animals    are    ruined    in    the 

breaking 452 

animals    become     restless    when 

clothed  for  the  night 286 

artisans,  conjunction  of,  to  form  a 

carriage  manufactory 479 

grooms  also    expected   to   act   as 

gardeners ■ 327 

horses  are  unable  to  pass  through 

a  stable  door  with  calmness 239 

houses  have  doors  far  larger  than 

any  stable 235 

horses  lamed  by  the  wedge-heeled 

shoe 119 

muscles  of  the  haunch  rise  close 

to  the  dock 387 

smiths  will  profess  to  cure  click- 


ing 


125 


r40 


INDEX. 


Many  things    must    change    before 

present  customs  alter 331 

Mare,  a,  generally  hardly  treated  ...   445 
Marks  of  the  teeth  are  unworthy  of 

dependence 137 

Macerating  box  for  food 190 

Mastication  a  compound  process 155 

Master  and  groom  like  a  quiet  stable  203 

May  bird 364 

Medicine,  the  less  the  better  during 

training 469 

Melton  girth  and  martingale 509 

Men  desire  only  to  know  the  physi- 
cal necessities  and  capabilities 

of  the  horse 199 

who  know  nothing  of  such  mat- 
ters, order  the  building  of  sta- 
bles   234 

Meshwork   of   veins,  a,  lies   under 
the  secreting  membrane  of  the 

hoof 245 

Method  of  treating  the  newly-born 

foal 443 

Midst  noise  and  bustle  the   horse 

dealer  must  be  calm 361 

Might  not  Egyptian  beans  be  grown 

in  England? 188 

Miles's  works  on   the   horse's   feet 

recommended 415 

Miniature  dewlap  a  good  point 400 

Minor  operations 53 

Mistake,  the,  of  a  summer's  rest 464 

Mode  of  dressing  a  wet  horse 349 

of   distributing   food    to    restless 

horse 312 

of  fastening  the  Arabian  shoe 100 

of  sitting  the  horse  in  the  olden 

time 450 

Model  foot,  the,  is  not  good  in  the 

author's  opinion 414 

Modern  Arabian  shoe 95 

carriages  are  fraught  with  danger' 

to  the  upper  classes 323 

mode  of  nailing 97 

stables  as  they  may  be  adapted....  332 

stables  invite  accidents 262 

Molars  are  not  level  in  aged  horses.  154 
Molar  teeth  are  not  all  of  one  size 

or  the  like  form 155 

tooth  of  an  aged  horse 159 

Money  does  not  constitute  the  entire 

price  of  a  good  horse 375 

is  saved  by  encouraging  habits  of 

regularity 318 

paid  to  the  job-master 369 

sunk  in  stables  is  most  remunera- 
tive   298 

More  bonds  do  not  destroy  the  desire 

to  be  free 220 

important  portion  of  the  groom's 
duties 343 


Morning  exercise  should  begin  the 

day's  work 340 

exercise,  the,  is  essential  to  the 

master's  safety 334 

Most  corn-chandlers  do  not  keep  the 

heavier  oats 182 

horsemen  do  not  comprehend  the 

utility  of  the  neck 389 

masters   only  know  their   horses 

through  the  groom's  report 222 

people  who  buy  and  sell  horses 

are  cheats 357 

well-bred    horses   have    stubborn 

necks 390 

Mother's  milk,  allowed  to  the  young, 

best  secures  development 446 

Motion  and  sensation   of   the  hind 

limbs  depend  on  the  spinal  cord  270 
of  the  quarters  aids  the  pedal  cir- 
culation    114 

Mounting  a  horse  is  a  good  test  for 

its  excellence .417 

Mouths,  large,  small,  and  dejected..  397 

Movable  and  fixed  ring 507 

manger 191 

Movement  of  the  feet  is  regulated  by 

the  condition  of  the  body 126 

Mr.    Lupton's    recommendation    of 

White's  method  of  roughing 129 

Mr.  Percival  rode  an  animal  shod 

with  tips  on  the  London  stones.   116 
Mucous  membrane,  when  inflamed, 

greatly  weakens 465 

Much  would  be  gained  if  the  reader 
only  acknowledged   the  writer 

right  in  theory 463 

is  learned  by  watching  the  groom 

lead  a  horse  out  of  the  stable...  278 
the  same   now  as  in  the   seven- 
teenth century 449 

Muscles  exist  in  pairs 253 

how  these  operate  upon  the  eye...     83 
the,  of  mastication  force  the  ven- 
ous blood  to  the  heart 23 

Musty  hay 176 

Mysterious  conduct  of  grooms 335 


Nags  are  now  more  ridden  by  others 

than  by  their  masters 334 

Nails,  reasons  for  driving  into  the  too  113 

Natural    process    of    drinking    de 

scribed 70 

diagram,  of 71 

Nature  does  not  obey  the  laws  of  th<« 

Jockey  Club 146 

has  allowed  vacant  spaces  to  exist, 
so  as  to  preserve  the  beauty  of 
the  head 27 


INDEX. 


541 


Nature  pauses  after  the  first  year...  144 
should  decide  the  period  of  lacta- 
tion     446 

Nature's  toil  regulated  by  density  of 

structure 151 

Nearly  every  man  will  sell  his  un- 
sound horse 269 

Nearness  to  the  heart  does  not  ex- 
plain want  of  sensation  in  the 

foreleg 243 

Necessity  for  ascertaining  the  cus- 
tomer's desires 363 

Neck,  the,   generally  indicates   the 

disposition 389 

Neglected  foot  of  the  ass 102 

Never  buy  a  horse  said  to  be  equal 

to  your  weight 418 

decide  upon  the  first  trial  of  a 

horse 373 

enter  the  stable  where  horses  are 

kicking 227 

finger  the  horse  you  mean  to  pur- 
chase    372 

leave  the  animal  before  the  bleed- 
ing is  finished 92 

lose  sight  of  the  horse  you  con- 
template buying 279 

mount  a  strange  nag  in  a  crowded 

locality 272 

purchase  a  horse  without  a  veter- 
inary examination  of  it 425 

Newly,  the,  born  foal 442 

New  shoe,  the,  has  many  recommend- 
ations    114 

Nibbling  the  wood-work  induced  by 

enforced  idleness 204 

Nicking  was  a  senseless  barbarity...  380 

Night  before  the  horse  fair 359 

clothing 499 

the  horse  can  see  as  well  in,  as  the 

cat 32 

watcher,  a,  enables  the  food  to  be 

better  distributed 325 

Nine  o'clock  duties 341 

Nippers  is  a  misnomer  when  applied 
to  the  front  teeth  of  the  stabled 

horse 167 

only  inspected  to  ascertain  the  age  137 
No  accident   should  teach   a  horse 

doors  and  pain  are  associated...  308 
instrument  formed  of  steel  or  iron 

should  be  permitted  in  the  stable  335 
jockeyism  can  foretell  the  attack 

of  kidney  dropping 266 

man  can  know  all  about  the  breed- 
ing of  all  animals 427 

means  can  eradicate  the  evils  of 
stables  while  pavement  slopes...  251 

muscles  present  on  the  shin 410 

one    would   purchase,   did    horse 
dealers  speak  the  truth 360 


No  teeth  no  horse ...    133 

unknown  undividual  can  pick  the  • 

dealer's  stock 375 

wild  horses  are  known  to  be  in 

existence 437 

Northern  extremity  of  the   stables 

divided  into  three  small  rooms..  317 

Nose  alone  breathed  through u^ 

Nostrils,  the,    indicate    the    dimen- 
sions of  the  lungs 399 

Novel  use  made  of  the  manger 210 

Noxious  atmosphere,  a,  compels  the 

resort  to  stimulants ."....  329 


o. 

Oatmeal,  good,  described 180 

Oats  are  a  most  extravagant  feed  for 

horses 194 

are   often   moistened   to  increase 

their  bulk 185 

best  Scotch 180 

English  feed 185 

English,  from  Canadian  seed 180 

Finland  black 184 

first  class  Swedes 181 

hair  calculus 183 

Irish,  bleached 184 

kiln  dried  Danish 184 

Kbnisberg 180 

light  and  heavy 182 

magnified  English 183 

magnified  musty 189 

new  Irish  feed 181 

Petersburg 180 

Scotch,  second  quality 184 

should    be     always     bought    by 

weight 181 

when    musty    are    covered    with 

■fungi 189 

Observe  that  both  shoulders  are  of 

the  same  bulk 417 

the  eating  capabilities  of  horses..  354 

Objections  to  drinks 73 

Odd   feet   are   evidences  of   former 

lameness 413 

feet   are    not   uncommon    among 

horses 413 

Ointment,  blistering,  is  made  with 

refuse  flies 82 

Old  English  shoe 96 

hunter  and  young  man's  steed 464 

One  failing,  the,  of  horse  dealers....  360 
kind  of  jibber  stops  suddenly  and 

backs 284 

lateral   incisor  in  both  jaws  de- 
clares a  four-year  old 151 

prime  foal  in  two  years  may  be 
better  than  four  bad  every  year  445 


542 


INDEX. 


One-year  old,  a,  worked  as  a  matm-ed 

animal 143 

Open  railings  are  becoming  general.  307 
railings   should   i^artly  form   the 

partitions  to  loose  boxes 307 

the  stable  doors  during  the  night.  309 
Order  the  groom  to  peep  during  the 
night  at  the  horse  which  is  too 

tired  to  eat 352 

Original  habitat  of  the  equine  race.     34 

Ould,  the,  mare 447 

Over-indulgence  ruins  the  horse 454 

Oxyen,"^  different  quantities  of,    in- 
haled by  different  horses 402 


P. 

Pace  natural  to  blindness  is  induced 
by   fixing   the   head   with   the 

bearing-rein 407 

Pad    grooms,    their    weight,    their 

qualifications,  and  their  duties..  334 
Pail,  a  clean  one,  should  be  kept  in 

every  stable 178 

Pain   consequent   upon   eating   the 

stable  diet 169 

expressed  by  any  peculiarity  in 

progression 103 

from  strain  on  the  ligaments  oc- 
casions inveterate  kicking 271 

merely  increases  timidity 293 

Panic  acts  on  horses  as  on  men 226 

Paring  the  foot 102 

Parts  affected  in  "kidney  dropping"  270 
Passion  an  evil  quality  in  a  groom..  500 
Pastern  bones  repose  upon  the  back 

tendons 43 

play  of,*in  thorough-breds,  proof 

of  elasticity  in  the  entire  body.  115 
the,  are  regulated  by  the  flexor 

tendons 411 

the,    should    be    judged    by    the 

swelling  beneath  the  elbow 412 

Patented  food,  only  the  groom's  se- 
cret largely  acted  upon 166 

Patent  foods 196 

safety-spring  stii-rup  bar 510 

trace  shaft  recommended  in  spinal 

disease 276 

Pattern  of  grating  to  put  over  gut- 
ters   300 

Patience  is  more  than  a  virtue  in  a 

teacher 457 

Pay  a  fair  price  for  good  a  horse....  375 
Peculiar  features  of  the  fore  limb...  409 

Peep,  a,  into  a  dealer's  yard 305 

Peril  of  turning  horses  to  graze  with- 
out removing  the  halters 225 

Perils  attending  fright  in  the  stable..  209 
of  modern  coach-houses 323 


Period  of  gestation  in  the  mare 448 

Permanent  incisors  come  up  in  the 
same  canals  as  the  milk  teeth 

occupied 159 

molars  are  not  perfected  when  cut  156 
Perspiration   implies    cuticular   ac- 
tivity   345 

when  excessive,  greatly  weakens 

the  body 465 

Perversity   of   the   old  agricultural 

mind 447 

Petersburg  oats....  180 

Physic  and  its  administration 53 

Pinning  up  subsequent  to  bleeding..     92 

Pitiable  "vice"  in  horses 254 

Place  of  birth,  the,  also  regulates  the 

kind  of  hoof. 413 

the,  is  cleared  before  the  stable 

flooring  is  disturbed 249 

two  powerful  men  to  prevent  the 

jibber  bolting 283 

Plan  of  hot  water  service 322 

Points,  their  importance  and  their 

development 379 

made  to  screw  on  to  shoe,  a  good 

substitute  for  roughing 129 

of  the  blood  haunches 419 

Portrait  of  a  one-year  old 143 

Position  of  the  bones  in  the  straight 

shoulder 405 

of  the  foot  casts  the  weight  on 

difl"erent  structures 253 

Posterior  limbs  have  no  motion  or 
sensation  during  a  fit  of  kidney 

dropping 267 

Precautions  necessary  after  bleeding     93 
necessary  when  bleeding  the  horse     90 

Prejudices  concerning  blisters 80 

Prejudice  concerning  the  ears  of  a 

horse 282 

declares  in  favor  of  a  short  neck..  392 

Preparation  for  scurfy  skin 337 

Prepared  horse  skin  boot  is  the  best 

application  for  cutting 123 

Preparing  the  lying-in  chamber 440 

for  the  event 441 

Present  mode  of  shoeing  is  a  failure.  104 

Presents,  occasional,  to  servants 493 

Price,  the,  of  most  carriages 477 

Pricking  the  foot  when  nailing 100 

Pride,  the,  of  the  trade 360 

Prime  horses  are  often  bought  on 

speculation  by  dealers 376 

Prisons  should  be  built  to  resist  the 

captives'  utmost  exertions  219 

Probable  result  of  a  man  enduring 

the  horse's  doom  for  one  week..  20C 
Profit  and  loss  of  a  dealer's  estab- 
lishment    360. 

Proper  mode  of  preparing  stems  for 

food 177 


INDEX. 


543 


Proper  treatment  would  be  far  the 

cheapest  in  the  long  run 222 

Properties  of  the  horn  forming  the 

wall  of  the  hoof. 98 

Proposed    stables    are    not    to    be 

measured  by  existing  buildings.  297 

Prolonged  action  is  better  than  ex- 
cessive labor 468 

Protect  the  points  of  flexion  before 

blistering 83 

Proved,  that  the   horse   cannot  be 

vicious 264 

Provision  against  the  ravenous  feed- 
ing horse 312 

Prudence  is  banished  by  joy  when 
.     the  horse  is  leaving  the  stables..  237 

Puller,  a,  is  always  a  dangerous  ser- 
vant  '. 398 

Pumping   action  necessary  for  the 

circulation  of  the  foot 246 

Punish   the   smith  who  injures  the 

hoof  to  fix  on  to  it  a  small  shoe.   131 

Pupil  of  the  horse's  eye  not  circular     31 

Purchases  necessai'y  when  the  horse 

is  started 497 

Pure    breeds    often    have    bulging, 

frontal  sinuses 394 

Purpose  of  the  pastern  joints 411 


Q. 

Qualifications  of  the  author  to  des- 
cant on  breeding 427 

Quarrels   are   provoked  by  narrow 

doorways 236 

between   horse    and   driver  gen- 
erally end  fatally 264 

Quarters,  hind,  the  seat  of  propul- 
sion       45 

Quarters  of  the  hoof  are  left  free  by 

nailing  the  new  shoe  to  the  toe.  114 

Quiet  method  of  giving  a  drink 77 

mode  of  giving  a  ball 67 

Quietude  and  darkness  do  not  dis- 
pose the  horse  to  sleep 311 


Eacers,  when  training,  undergo  ex- 
cessive labor 466 

generally   are    old    before    their 

stock  becomes  famous 431 

inhale  more  air  during  rapid  mo- 
tion   403 

Racing   men    and  bumpkins,  their 

conduct  contrasted 144 

Racing  plates 115 

are  dangerous  shoes  during  the 
struggle 472 


Eailroads  not  opposed  to  the  breed 

of  horses 18 

Rats  enter  stables  through  ordinary 

gutters 300 

Rat  tails   are  said  to  denote   good 

horses 387 

Rayment's,   (Mr.  C.,)    his    oatmeal 

recommended 178 

Rebound  or  spring  of  the  racer  im- 
proved by  the  present  mode  of 

shoeing 115 

Recapitulation  of  certain  points  in 

the  horse 416 

Receiving  the  first  lesson 458 

Reflection  needed  to  comprehend  the 

requirements  of  the  horse 200 

Regular  horse  dealers  avoid  flats....   363 
Regulations  to  be  observed  at  feed- 
ing time 191 

Reins,  the  necessity  of  good  leather 

for 517 

for  foals  should  be  partly  of  India- 

I'ubber 459 

Remedies  for  a  scurfy  skin 290 

for  clicking 126 

for  cutting 122 

for  wounds  and  abrasions 231 

Repeated  blows  on  one  spot,  evil  of, 

when  bleeding 91 

Requisites  for  the  groom's  use 500 

indications    of   a  well-built   car- 
riage    485 

Respect  is  felt  toward  a  person  who 

can  state  his  wants  to  a  dealer.  374 

Rest  depends  upon  digestion 311 

generally  good  for  pedal  annoy- 
ances    126 

is  imperfect  when  taken  standing.  260 

Restless  eye,  a,  denotes  timidity 396 

Restlessness  induces  the  collar-rope 

to  be  bitten 215 

Results  of  deranged  digestion 196 

Retention  of  the  placenta 442 

Rick  of  the  back 264 

disables  a  horse  as  a  wheeler  or 

to  endure  excessive  strain 275 

is  severe  in  heavy  horses 273 

often  leads  to  fracture  of  the  spine  276 
or  chink  of  the  back  is  common, 

but  little  understood 266 

Ride,  to,  is  not  necessary  in  a  good 

groom 333 

Rider,  the,  and  the  head  destroy  the 

equality  of  weight  on  the  limbs.  417 
should    understand    the    appear- 
ances of  the  healthy  eye 290 

swings  on  elastic  life  when  seated 

on  the  back 41 

Ridiculous  to  talk  of  a  horse  being 

"vicious" 263 

Rising  to  the  leap 461 


544 


INDEX. 


lloacli   backs   are    common   on   the 

Essex  marshes 384 

generally  spiteful 384 

have  been  used  as  hunters 885 

Rolling  occasions  the  hind  leg  to  get 

beyond  the  post  of  the  stall 230 

Roof  consists  of  two  parts 314 

of  the  ambulatory,  how  supported 

and  drained 302 

the,  described 314 

Room  for  the  night-watcher  is  sup- 
plied with  comforts 325 

Rooms  at  back  divided  from  the  sta- 
ble by  a  stout  wall 316 

Roomy  mares  are  a  mistake 429 

Roots  are  relished  by  horses 195 

Roughing,  as  generally  performed...  128 
Rough-riding  is  practiced  at  three 

years  of  age 147 

Rounded  incisors  would  prevent  the 

animal  biting  the  grass 289 

Roundness  of  the  jaw's  lower  mar- 
gin during  colthood 142 

Rowen  hay 174 

Rules  for  selecting  a  sire 438 

Running  away 294 


s. 


Sacrum,  the,  is  one  bone  in  the  adult     38 
Saddle-tree,  a,  with  spring  stiri'up- 

bar  attached 495 

Saddlery  and  harness 494 

Safety  is  sacrificed  by  the  violent  use 

of  the  bearing-rein 407 

Sameness  of  diet  deranges  the  diges- 
tion   195 

of  provender   induces  cutaneous 

irritability 286 

proves  vice  to  be  induced  by  dis- 
ease or  by  instinct 295 

Sand  in  the  eye,  the  horse  protected 

against 35 

Savage  horse,  how  to  render  quiet...     60 

Scene  witnessed  at  Holloway 294 

Science  has  demonstrated  the  mews 

is  an  unhealthy  abode 328 

and  practice  unite  in  estimation 

of  the  loins 383 

Scotland,  the  ass  does  not  breed  in..     49 
Scratching   the   ear  often  fixes  the 

hind  pastern  in  the  collar-rope.  224 
Screw  shoe,  folly  and  inhumanity  of.   118 

Scroll-eyed  hames 506 

Seated  shoe 117 

Second  crop  of  clover 175 

Secretions,  though   hard,  are    gov- 
erned by  the  inward  soft  organs  118 

Section  of  a  superficial  gutter 299 

of  the  proposed  stables 324 


See-sawing,  or  weaving,  in  horses...  205 

Segundo  bit,  the 523 

Senses,  the   special,  assist  one  an- 
other   398 

Serious  accident  to  a  cavalry  officer.  272 

Servants    exaggerate    the    master's 

behavior 202 

Seven  o'clock  duties 339 

Seventh  year,  the,  should  witness  the 

active  service  of  the  horse 462 

Several  diseases  are  almost  peculiar 

to  the  rich 323 

Severity  endangers  man's  property 

in  the  horse 255 

Sharp-pointed  nail  heads  no  efi"ect- 

ual  substitute  for  roughing 129 

Shedding  of  the  temporary  molars..  156 

Shelter   and   nurture   are  requisite 

for  all  young  horses 429 

Sheltered   ground   between  the  gig 

and  coach  houses 820 

Ship  biscuit  proposed    for   horses' 

food 195 

Shoe  is  displaced  by  growth  of  horn  106 
is  wide  enough  if  it  supports  the 
wall 104 

Shoeing 95 

blamed  for  all  the  changes  in  the 
foot 101 

Shoes  act   injuriously  by  confining 

the  foot 472 

the,   should    be   observed   at   the 
time  of  purchase 424 

Short-necked  horses  cannot  rest  the 

limbs  when  at  grass 392 

horses  feed  badly  in  the  field 392 

Sides  of  the  ventilator  can  be  opened 

or  closed  at  pleasure 315 

Sight  should  be  obscured  during  the 

act  of  bleeding 91 

Sights  of  London  streets 199 

Signs  of  old  age  in  the  horse 136 

Situation  of  the  cistern 818 

Six  o'clock  duties 389 

Size     and    requirements    of   stable 

doors 307 

of  less  import  than  form  of  thorax.  403 

Skeletons  in  museums  are  never  cor- 
rect  408 

Skin  and  lungs  sympathize  with  each 

other 344 

Slanting   floors   pervert   the   inten- 
tions of  bone  and  tendon 251 

hoofs  are  very  bad 414 

pavement  causes  horses  to  stand 

across  the  stall 254 

shoulder,  the  benefits  of 408 

Sliding  mouth  bit,  the 524 

Slight  movements  excite  the  atten- 
tion of  a  stabled  horse 203 

Slipper  shoe,  first  mention  of Ill 


INDEX. 


545 


Sloping  pavement,  a,  extends  from 

the  front  of  the  ambulatory 319 

Sloth  not  favorable  to  paternity 437 

Slow  consuming  boiler  employed  to 

v?arm  the  stables 321 

Small  animals  are  preferred  for  their 

working  capability 433 

Btables  do  not  generally  kill  be- 
cause they  are  draughty 81 

Smallness  of  neck  shows  debility...  389 
Snares  which  surround  the  groom...  330 

So-called  "incapacitating vices" 263 

Society  forces  horse  dealers  to   em- 
ploy fiction 360 

the,  for  preventing  cruelty  to  ani- 
mals   476 

Soft  palate,  some  of  the  uses  of. 28 

Sole  is  removed  by  the  shoeing  smith 

and  the  veterinary  surgeon 104 

made  to  bear  some  pressure 104 

Some  English  thorough-breds  have 

Roman  noses 394 

substitute  should  be  found  for  a 

stud  groom 335 

Southern  end  of  the  proposed  stable.  319 
Space,  the,  above  the  horses  should 

be  free  to  the  rQof 332 

Spasmodic  inhalation  denotes  defec- 
tive respiration 399 

Special  senses,  the,  should  be  noted 
as  testifying  to  the  health  of  the 

body 398 

Speedy  cut  often  causes  a  fall 121 

warrants  instant  rejection 423 

Spinal   cord,   the,  is   injured   when 

"kidney  dropping"  occurs 269 

Spine,  how  the  bones  of  are  united..     39 
sinks  and  rises  in  the  living  horse  383 
the,   of   a   horse  is  delicately  or- 
ganized   265 

the  base  of  the  skeleton 38 

Spring  bar  and  spring  stirrup 510 

Squatting  on  the  haunches  is  an  un- 
natural position  in  the  horse....  267 
Stable  implements  are  terrible  weap- 
ons   318 

pails  are  not  suited  to  contain  a 

horse's  drink 314 

the,  cannot  be  well  managed  by 

one  pair  of  hands 339 

is  relinquished  to  the  servant 335 

the  only  one  known  to  the  ass 48 

new,  will  be  thrice  drained 301 

Stables  are  inadequate  prisons  for 

horses 219 

not  proportioned  to   the  horse's 

size 225 

opposed  to  the  habits  and  instincts 

of  horses 247 

.  the  last  considered  when  houses 
are  planned 233 


Stables  as  built — are  they  the  best 

possible? 252 

are  paved  with  Dutch  clinkers 249 

as  they  should  be 297 

do  not  require  a  blaze  of  light —  22Q 
in  many  families,  are  regarded  as 

lumber  lofts 220 

promote     the     decomposition     of 

urine 249 

should  be  as  clean  as  dairies 316 

Stablemen  suffer  most  from  present 

customs 226 

Stagnant  misery  is  personified  in  the 

horse 243 

Stallions  are  generally  too  fat 431 

Standing  in  the  manger 208 

while  it  sleeps 260 

Starvation  is  injurious  before  exer- 
tion    471 

Starved,  horses  are,  when  confined 

in  small  stables 81 

Steeds  are  worn  out  serving  more 

than  one  master...: 33^ 

Steel  inserted  at  the  to"e  of  the  clip 

shoe 120 

Stewart's  stable  economy 234 

Stiff  back  reduces  the  horse's  value.  278 

Stick,  blood,  depicted 90 

Stomach  small  and  well  situated 20 

Stout  horn  is  required  in  the  hoof  of 

a  horse 415 

Stranger,  a,  has  entered  the  stable..  204 
Strange  substances  eaten  in  stables.  196 
Straw  figure  should  be  placed  on  the 

colt's  back 458 

worthless  as  food 177 

Striking     a     horse    when     passing 

through  a  door  is  dangerous....  238 
Strong  feet  are  not  necessarily  liable 

to  disease 414 

Submissive,  the,  are  the  abused 234 

Substance  is  absent  in  the  present 

breed  of  horses 432 

Substances  which  do  not  nourish  are 

not  food 193 

Suburban  grooms  generally  live  in 

the  house.... 328 

Suburbs,  the,  are  often  disturbed  by 

the  thud  of  a  trotted  cart 274 

Successful  dealers  are  conceited 377 

Sudden    agony  makes    horses    kick 

when  mounted 271 

Suffering  experienced  at  three  years  148 

Sulphur  on  oats,  to  detect 186 

Summered 474 

Summer's  coat,  advent  of,  is  delayed 

by  clipping .•  344 

Supposed  places  of  the  groom's  resi- 
dence during  certain  periods....  329 

Supply  of  water,  how  arranged. 313 

Swerving  is  a  mild  form  of  shying..  292 


35 


546 


INDEX. 


T. 


Tails  as  denoting  breed 387 

Tail,  the,  acts  as  the  rudder  of  the 

body 380 

Take  everything  coolly  when   in  a 

dealer's  yard 374 

Tale,  a,  illustrative  of  patience 520 

Tapidum   lucidum,  its   uses   in   the 

horse's  eye 32 

Tares  are  good  food 189 

Tax,  a,  is  demanded  on  all  that  en- 
ters or  leaves  the  stable 330 

Tearing  the  clothing 287 

Teeth 133 

at  advanced  periods 161,  162 

at  birth 139 

cannot   be  positively  interpreted 

after  the  fifth  year 163 

one  fortnight  old 140 

three  months  old 140 

Telescopic  nature  of  the  horse's  eye.     33 

Temporary  loose  box 356 

molars,  peculiarity  in    the  shed- 
ding of  the 156 

Tempting  position  of  the  manger. ...  210 

Tendon  cannot  sustain  pressure 254 

Ten  o'clock  duties 341 

Terrible   consequences  of  thought- 
lessness, or  of  parsimony 262 

Terror    is   never   removed   till   the 

horse's  spirit  is  broken 240 

is  dangerous  as  the  place  of  its 

exhibition  is  circumscribed 255 

mistaken  for  "vice" 109 

Test  for  "kidney  dropping" 268 

Thickness  of  neck  not  an  objection..  389 

jaw  caused  by  young  teeth 142 

Things  needed  to  dress  a  sensitive 

horse 289 

Thin    heeled   shoe  pointed  the  toe 

upward,  and  did  harm 120 

neck  accompanies  emaciation 460 

Btomachs   often   taken    from  the 

bodies  of  old  horses 178 

walls,  dif&culty  of  nailing  a  shoe 

on 100 

web  to  the  seated  shoe  117 

ear  denotes  goodness  of  breed 395 

Thinning  the  sole 103 

Thirst,  a  consequence  of  dry  food...   167 
Thorough-bred  quarters  express  de- 
termination   419 

Three   purgatives   cannot   promote 

strength 465 

quarter  shoe 116 

Time  should  be  allowed  for  nervous- 
ness to  subside 240 

the,  occupied  in  foaling  is  short...  439 

Times  when  the  horse  feeds 197 

Timidity  flies  from  any  danger 281 


Tips  afi'ord  all   the   protection  the 

racer's  foot  requires 473 

Toe  is  cut  and  burnt  when  the  horse 

shoe  has  a  clip 108 

reasons  for  fixing  nails  into 113 

Toes,  the,  in  the  forefeet  point  up- 
ward in  the  stable 243 

the,  depressed  in  the  gutter  cause 

a  luxurious  sense  of  ease 256 

To  fly  from  danger  is  an  instinct  in 

the  horse 295 

make  gruel  properly 178 

Tool-house  at  the  back  of  stables....  318 
Tools  necessary  for  White's  mode  of 

roughing 130 

the,  employed  for  carriages 480 

Too    many    classes    swindle    when 

horse  dealing 269 

Tooth,  its  component  substances 157 

Torture  is  a  favorite  mode  of  cure 

with  grooms 287 

Town  grooms  inhabit  impure  rooms 

over  the  stables 328 

Trainer's,  the,  stables  are  foul 467 

Training  and  running  are  bad  prep- 
arations for  paternity 429 

folly  of  the  present  system 187 

necessary  for  young  horses  from 

the  country 366 

spoils  the  tempers  of  many  colts..  470 
stables  do   not  develop  the   true 

disposition  of  a  horse 434 

Treading  on  an  upright  nail 101 

Treatment  for  jibbing 283 

for  kidney  dropping 268 

for  rick  of  the  back 275 

of  the  ass  reprobated 47 

of  the  blood  stallion 431 

of  the  heels  when  dirty 350 

proper  for  the  blood  mare 435 

Troughs  are  empty  while  the  cistern 

contains  some  water 321 

Tuition  should  be  daily  till  the  sec- 
ond year 459 

Turkish  slipper,  likeness  to 102 

Tushes  are  affected  by  age 161 

are  uncertain  teeth  in  the  horse...  150 

Twitch,- a,  generally  kept 74 

Two  chains  and  a  collar-strap  are 

employed  on  some  horses 217 

kinds  of  cutting 121 

men  meeting  on  a  hill  do  not  re- 
tain their  relative  positions 254 


U. 

Uncertain  which  shoe  will  pr«vent 

clicking  or  forging 125 

Unclothing  the  beauty 376 


INDEX. 


547 


Undulating  pavement  affords  every 

kind  of  standing  ground 299 

Unfitness  of  horses  for  captivity...  .  203 
Uninitiated,    tlie,    greedy    for    bar- 
gains   277 

Unnecessary,  bleeding  is 93 

Upland  hay 172 

the  only  good  hay 176 

Upright  pasterns  denote  hard  work 

has  strained  the  flexor  muscles.  411 
Urine,   on   exposure   yields   ammo- 
nia.   249 

stagnates  in  the  gutters 249 

Use  of  the  mane  and  tail 380 

Uses  of  the  different  components  of 

the  teeth 158 

of  the  false  nostril 25 

of  the  harness-room 317 

of  the  sheltered  space 320 

to   vsrhich   stable   doors   are   sub- 
ject   236 

Usual  applications,  the,  check  the 

hoofs  perspiratory  functions  ...  353 
explanation,  accounting   for    the 

weakness  of  the  fore  limbs 416 

length  of  horse  cloths 350 

method  of  cleansing  the  heels 346 

Titter  darkness  excites  timidity 226 


V. 

Valves  aid  the  circulation  when  op- 
posed to  gravity 245 

in  the  veins  of  the  leg 244 

of  jugular  veins    only  act  when 
the  head  is  depressed 22 

Various  people  buy  and  sell  horses.  357 
substances  are  interposed  between 
the  ends  of  bone 42 

Veins  so  arranged  as  to  prevent 
congestion  if  feeding  off  the 
ground 21 

Ventilation  secured  by  having  the 

doors  in  parts 308 

Ventilator  roofed  with  stout  glass...  315 

Vertebr93,  the,  are  the  base  of  the 

skeleton 380 

Vetches,  on  which  agricultural  teams 

live,  indicate  no  danger  in  beans  468 

Veterinary  examiners  too  often  neg- 
lect the  spine 277 

profession    composed    of   imper- 
fectly educated  men 73 

Vicious  horses  are  mostly  weakly 

creatures 418 

View  extended  by  mounting  on  to 

the  manger.....' 210 

Voice,  the,  is  suflScient  goad  for  a 

willing  animal 460 


w. 

4 

Walking  a  horse  is  more  than  simply 

moving 124 

through  the  stables  and  phj  sick- 
ing the  stock 377 

essential  to  the  horse's  foot 246 

Wall  of  the  hoof 98 

the,  is  struck  during  darkness 258 

Warranties  are  of  no  value 370 

Waste  of  present  feeding 193 

Wasting  the  hay 212 

Watch  the  action  while  the  horse  is 

being  run  along  the  ride 423 

Water,  its  importance  in  the  stable..  486 

should  be  freely  employed 338 

should  only  be  applied  to  the  heels 

after  special  permission 352 

troughs  described 313 

Weakly  or  healthy  foals  now  suck 

only  the  same  time 446 

Weakness  is  not  the  accompaniment 

of  the  racer's  elastic  pastern....  411 

Wariness  cannot  promote  thrift 249 

induces  the  horse  to  play  with  its 

needless  corn 213 

Weaving  is  an  effort  to  promote  the 

circulation  of  the  foot 250 

or  see-sawing  in  horses 205 

Web  slants  in  the  seated  shoe 117 

none  to  the  slipper  shoe Ill 

the,  of  the  shoe  serves  to  retain 

stones 108 

Wedged-heeled  shoe,  danger  of 119 

Weeds  of  the  blood  stock 422 

Weight  should  not  be  put  on  horses 

during  training 468 

the,  of  the  head  is  not  felt  during 

health 388 

Well-bred,     the,     and    coarse-bred 

heads  contrasted 393 

Wetting  the  heels  most  injurious....  346 
What  occasions  horses  to   kick  by 

night? 228 

Wheels,    how    long    these    should 

last 488 

how  to  use  and  understand 491 

When  a  part  of  the  frame  moves,  all 

parts  are  agitated 150 

buying,  procure  a  horse  rather  too 

strong  than  strong  enough 374 

gentlemen  meddle,  the  dealer  ex- 
ults   372 

the  foal  quits  its  dam,  breaking 

should  commence 458 

Where  the  fore  limb  quits  the  trunk, 

muscle  should  abound 409 

White  horses  are  generally  old 136 

Why  a  carriage  should  be  cleansed 

from  mud 487 

breeding  does  not  pay 428 


548 


INDEX. 


Widest,  the,  of  modern  stable  doors 

are  too  narrow 238 

Width   of  channel  testifies   to   the 

breathing  capability 399 

Wild  animals  are  not  caged  like  the 

horse 202 

horses  nowhere  exist 37 

Wind  sucking  caused  by  stables 205 

Windpipe  capable  of  contraction 26 

Winter's  frost  always  takes  horse 

proprietors  by  surprise 126 

Winter  shoes  are  best  made  in  sum- 
mer   126 

Wintry  perspirations,  probable  cause 

of 343 

Wipe  the  oil  off  after  blistering 83 

Wired-in  hoofs  are  bad 415 

Wisp  and  brush  are  abused 342 

Withhold    all    medicine    from    the 

breeding  mare 448 

Wolves'  teeth  are  of  no  importance.   143 


Work  demands  more   support  than 

grass  affords 133 

when  not  excessive,  benefits  health  435 

Worked  too  early 19 

Worst  cheat,  the,  in  horse  flesh 357 

Wound,  precautions  necessary  after 

bleeding 93 

Written  warranties  seldom  required 

by  the  honest  dealer 365 

Wrongs  inflicted  on  horses 199 


Y. 

Yew  clippings  poison  horses 171 

Young  animals  are  purchased  by  the 

London  dealers 366 

horses  are  put  in  the  chains  as 

teamsters 265 

horses   should  be  from  birth  set 
apart  for  their  future  uses 438 


